The Other Sister
by Zizichan96
Summary: One red, one blue. Two old, one new. Blood's ties, history's lies. Chiropterans and humans are connected throughout history, but never have the results of human meddling been this unexpected. Saya and Diva are twins, but then there's their other sister...
1. Prologue : Out of Control

**Prologue - ****Out of Control**

_Hot. So hot… fire everywhere… blood. Too hot._

Flames roared in all directions; a crimson haze staining the dusky horizon with blood. Dead bodies littered the barren ground, dyed crimson with a stain that, in the memories of those who saw it and lived to remember, would never fade. Grotesque, bat like, drooling, hungry, red-eyed monsters and humans fell alike. They were equals in death by this blade.

Shots rang out; they found their target, as helicopters whirred over head. The Army was moving closer, and now among the screams of the terrified and dying you could hear gunshots and the crackle of radio-communication. Blood bloomed from the first round of fire, down Her back in several places. But She would not fall from something so pitifully weak. Compared to Her, they were nothing. Already, Her flesh had pushed out the bullets and healed over; blood no longer flowed, and soon those guns were sprayed with their wielder's blood.

Her blood-red eyes flashed as living thing after living thing fell under her relentless rampage; human or beast, She made no distinction. Then something more caught Her attention; the first thing She had focused on since opening her glowing eyes. Her red eyes swivelled towards the staggering figure making her way towards Her. The red-eyed One glared at this new arrival, somehow different in a way that made the heat inside stop raging for a while and simply simmer, waiting. Soon the other girl was close enough to make her out properly; she was blood splattered too, and she was clutching her right eye. The heat stopped simmering, and over spilled. With an animal roar, the One with blood-coloured eyes raised Her sword and charged.

"No! Sto-" her words were cut off with a scream and a spray of blood, and then there was nothing left but heat.

"Saya…"

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**I realise this is V. short, but it's a prologue, and I also realize it's kinda boring... **

**but bear with me for a few chappys; it does get more interesting, I promise!**

**My first fanfic, please review! :D**


	2. Chapter 1 : The Search

**Chapter 1 - ****The Search**

The grey clouds signified that the weather was, once more, being loyal to English tradition; the very sky looked so swollen that not many ventured from the warmth of their homes. The few who had braved the ominous weather could not help but stare at the strange girl who strode through their midst. The hood of her leather jacket flapped with her strides and the heels of her biker boots made a strangely satisfying sound which made the girl smile. Her black hair was in a shaggy bob, random tendrils everywhere. She was fairly young, and very beautiful in a dangerous, sharp sort of way, with her fringe completely covering her right eye.

Soon the girl reached what appeared to be her destination; a park, for she stopped and surveyed the place with a contented air, before walking on confidently. In the park there were even fewer people; mainly they hurried through, hoods up and faces down against the drizzle that had begun to fall. However, those people's eyes were still caught by the girl's odd attire and demeanour.

The girl continued along the paths, and soon reached a place she deemed fine to stop at; a secluded area of trees. Leaning against the trunk of an old oak with a sigh, the girl reached into her pocket. After a brief rummage, her hand reappeared with a pocky stick, which she then bit into, leaving it hanging jauntily from her mouth not unlike a slightly long, chocolate coated cigarette. Hands in pockets again, she stared up through the leaves of the oak, ignoring the occasional drips of drizzle. The damp air caused the tendrils framing her face to gradually curl upwards, as she continued to stare almost unseeingly through the branches of the tree, a frown on her face and rolling the pocky around her mouth without taking a bite.

_Still haven't found you yet, huh?_

"Tch." With a grit of her teeth, the girl finally bit her pocky properly. With her hands still in her pockets, it was really bad timing for the end of the pocky not in her mouth. Any ordinary person would have lost half their snack; the pocky would have fallen. But 'Kata' was not an ordinary person. With a blue blur, the bitten pocky was caught with agile fingers, and then flipped around like a pen.

Another sigh, and Kata stood, crunching her half the pocky and twiddling the other. Then, placing the now bitten pocky in her mouth like a cigar once more, Kata began to walk, pulling her hood up, the threatening clouds finally spilling. The few people around disappeared, but Kata continued walking, ignoring the rain completely.

_Hmph. Damn it Hagi, where the hell did you run off to? I get you were scared, but did you seriously need to run away that fast? Damn it. I've been looking for you for like, thirty years already._ Kata stopped suddenly, removing the pocky stick from her mouth.

"Thirty years…" she muttered. "Shit. I completely forgot." She said aloud, now continuing her thoughts for the ears of the rain and wet grass only. With a smile, Kata took another bite of her pocky. "I see. It's about time for that, huh? Interesting." Kata glanced at her watch; one of those sleek high-tech ones that look like they've come from a James Bond movie, displaying the position of the stars and other such nonsense as well as the time. What Kata was looking at, though, was the year.

"Woops. Been half a year since she would have woken up. Already, huh? Well. Better get going, huh? Though I guess its two birds with one stone," She said, her smiled turning slightly malicious, "'Cause where the master is, the dog will follow. Heh." And with that strange smile, with guilt, sadness, anticipation, excitement and just plain insanity all contained in that one fragile expression, and a blur, the strange Kata was gone, the pocky stick left forgotten in the mud.

Miles away from the pocky in rainy park in London, the sun shone down on Okinawa, where the Red Queen had already awakened from her slumber.

And so, the story begins.

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**Okay. I know the 'and so the story begins' bit was cheesy and un-needed but I couldn't resist. Sorry!**

**So, a little more interesting, right? -.-' Please stick with it, and review! Thankyou! .**


	3. Chapter 2 : Awakening

**Chapter - 2 ****Awakening**

Kata stopped walking to gaze at the sky, as a US army plane roared overhead.

_Okinawa, huh? What a weirdly optimistic place._ Kata smirked, causing her pocky stick to flip up towards the cloudless sky. Kata turned and began to casually walk down the wide street, her leather jacket tied around her waist, a welcoming cool breeze caressing her bare arms below the sleeves of her pale blue t-shirt. Kata, unlike her purposefully irritated stride in London three weeks previously, was simply strolling without any apparent destination or purpose, enjoying the sun. She had already found what she was looking for; the cocoon, discarded and broken out of. That meant the Queen was awake; Kata could sense she was still within the boundaries of Okinawa, as could many Chiropterans; the huge blood-sucking, bat-like beasts were drawn to the presence of the Queen. Kata frowned as she walked past a news reporter, camera crew and small crowd of onlookers; another murder was being reported. The press were proclaiming it the work of a serial killer, and most would have accepted that. Kata's eyes, however, immediately recognised the work of one, if not two or three, Chiropterans.

Sucking on the Pocky, Kata frowned, now deep in though and looking less and less like a care-free tourist on holiday. Something was definitely up. Kata's frown deepened.

_Why the hell aren't you doing anything about these Chiropterans Saya? I mean, it's not like they're hard to find, I've killed two already. Geez._

Suddenly, Kata felt she was nearly deafened as a loud, harsh, grating school-bell rang, from what felt like next to her ear. Surprised, but still composed enough that the Pocky was still firmly lodged between her lips, she turned as a steady stream of students began to filter from the school building she was standing in front of. Ignoring the curious glances, she read the sign imbedded on the wall of the School, next to the gate. _Koza High School._ Kata straightened, and turned to continue walking down the street, taking another pocky from her pocket. _School, huh? Maybe if I'm here for a while I'll go…_ Lost in thought, Kata walked away from the school, as the girl known as 'Saya Otonashi' left with her adoptive brother Kai for the hospital, mere metres away.

_THE NEXT DAY, EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING_

"Ah." Kata took her pocky from her mouth as she nudged the dead, crystallized chiropteran, now cut in half and surrounded by a circle of blood, with her foot. "Welcome back, Saya." She murmured. She turned to look out of the window, just in time to see a black shape take off again from a building a few miles away. "Just missed 'em, huh? Damn you Hagi." Suddenly Kata stiffened, her head turning slightly as the sound of footsteps pounding along the corridor reached her ears. "Oh. That's why they left in such a hurry. Well, I'm off too." She said to herself. Kata and the US Military generally didn't see eye to eye. By the time the troops entered the class room, expecting to have to fight a practically unbeatable monster and loose most of their comrades securing it, Kata was long gone, as was the person who had slain the chiropteran.

Hagi stood on the top of a nondescript grey building, near the Hospital where his beloved now slept. Though his facial expression didn't change much, he appeared to be frowning more than usual. His Queen wasn't awake yet.

Kata, yet again eating a pocky, stiffened. She was sitting on a block of flats, and in the alley down below, she could see the Queen she had been seeking. Kata, swinging her legs, was about to jump down from the derelict block of flats she was sitting on, when Saya began to drink Hagi's blood. Making a disgusted face, Kata stayed where she was. She really didn't want to get in the middle of _that_.

Since discovering the first chiropteran Saya had slain since awakening at the school, Kata had watched bits of her life from afar. Not much, since something different about the Queen made her keep her distance, but enough to know what had been going on. Saya seemed reluctant to join the Red Shield again, which was really off, because although she had never really liked them, she had always accepted their help. She also had refused to fight a chiropteran, causing her father to be severely injured, which was even weirder.

_Since when has Saya not wanted to fight? It's like a religion to her. Along with eating like a pig, and treating Hagi like a family member. Huh. When I start thinking about it, Saya's actually pretty annoying. Oh well. Ah! _Kata dropped her pocky in surprise, and it spiralled down into the now empty alleyway. _Crap! They've gone! Huh? Who the hell is that?_ Kata, now standing, glanced in surprise down at the young boy who had obviously been following Saya. He looked about twelve, and as she watched, a man she knew ran up to him. _David._ Her eyes narrowed.

But her gaze was torn away from the big blonde man and the young adolescent as a cry not unlike a lion's roar rang out across the darkening sky. However, loud though it was, it did not reach many people's ears. _Chiropteran._ Kata's eyes narrowed again, and she was off. Realising she would be seen if she travelled over the rooftops, she dropped down to street level just around the corner from David and Riku; whose name she picked up from David's concerned calling of it. Just before she began to run, so fast she blurred to a blue streak, she heard Riku's next words.

"What is that? What? It sounds like a lion roaring…" Kata was off before she could properly consider that, racing after Saya and Hagi, but as she ran her mind was racing.

_He can hear it! _She thought, the thought half a question, though she already knew the answer. _Oh shit, that is NOT good. Ack. Hope he doesn't want to join the Red Shield anytime soon…_ and with that her thoughts moved on, as fast as her body was moving.

Kata arrived at the abandoned warehouse bare minutes after Saya and Hagi, but by that time they were already fighting the chiropteran. Kata stood in the rafters, eating a new pocky stick, invisible to all. _Only one, huh? Looks like they don't need my help._ She watched impassively as Saya and Hagi fought the monster. She'd seen that before, Kata didn't care much for the annihilation of a chiropteran, so she surveyed the warehouse. There was a dead woman behind a pile of the crates, drained of blood. _Ouch. So they couldn't manage zero casualties this time, huh? _Then a ginger haired boy caught her eye. He was cowering in the corner, a gun in his hand, eyes wide as he watched Saya plunge her blood laced katana into the chiropteran. As the blood entered the chiropteran's system, it choked; cracks appearing in the place around the wound, the surrounding flesh turning to stone.

_He's… um. Ah! Kai, Kai Miyagusuku, her… adoptive brother. Interesting._ Her eyes flickered back to the fast crystallizing chiropteran. _Did he come after revenge? Weird. But I guess this is the chiropteran that injured his dad… huh. What a weird guy, coming after a chiropteran with nothing but a gun. Luck Saya saved him._ With that, Kata's attention once more focused on Saya, done killing the chiropteran. Kata watched as the blood red glow faded from Saya's eyes. Kata was about to leave the rafters to join Hagi and Saya, when the Queen began to shake violently. Her katana dropped to the floor with a clatter, and Saya dropped to her knees mere moments afterwards.

Kata paused on her rafter, frowning as tears began to fall from Saya's eyes. Kata's eyes widened as it clicked._ So _that's_ what's been bothering me for so long now… she… doesn't remember anything._ Biting her pocky with a playful smile, although there was no one to see it, Kata faded back into the darkness, watching as the Red Shield –_damn them _- charged in, guns a blazing like fools hoping for war, and then David quickly took control of the situation.

_Interesting. _

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**I wrote a bit much... oops! I tend to get carried away and forget to start new chapters etc, so if my chapters are a bit long, I'm so sorry!**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 3 : A Life of Blood

**Chapter 3 - A Life of Blood**

Kata watched in solemn silence as David explained the situation to Kai, Riku and Saya. Their father had been stolen from the hospital; he was in a critical condition, from a chiropteran wound of all things, so that really wasn't good, and he'd also been taken by the US Military. That also wasn't good, seeing as the US Army had been covering up chiropteran attacks.

_Yeah. This entire thing is fishier than fish._ Breathing out hard through her nose, Kata finished off her pocky. She was standing just out of sight by the side of the warehouse, while the Red Shield, the Miyagusuku family, Saya and Hagi conversed by the harbour. _Harbour huh? Didn't notice that last night._ She watched as Saya began to cry, Kai -_Ass. I already don't like him, the brat_- kicked up a fuss and then finally they got into a van. Kata smirked as she saw Hagi being left to find his own way to Saya; the van door was slammed in Hagi's face by Kai, though the stoic man had made no move to get into the vehicle.

_Well this is interesting. I haven't had such a busy time for a long time now, huh?_ Kata was sitting on a bollard; minutes previously Saya had been the mysterious Asian girl perched there, but now Kata took her place; hands in pockets, pocky in mouth. _Really interesting. How you've changed, Queen._ With a smile, Kata gazed across the sea at the horizon, as the fast rising sun painted the sky and sea alike with various hues of pale pink and blue.

_First we have chiropterans. _Kata began. It was her custom, her nature, to summarise things every now and then, if not to explain to someone else, then to help herself get a handle on the situation. _Large monsters who feed off human blood, they're stronger and faster than anything humans have ever encountered; their healing capabilities means they are virtually unstoppable, and the only way humans have been able to defeat them is by bombing, which isn't very practical. There are four known types of chiropterans; the usual mindless monsters who breed almost like rabbits, Chevaliers, humans turned into chiropterans by the transfusion of the third type's blood; the third type of chiropteran is even rarer than Chevaliers; the Queens. All living chiropterans descend from them; from the more powerful Chevaliers with human appearances who directly serve their chiropteran Queens to the mindless monsters. There are only two know Queens in existence; Saya and her younger sister, Diva. _

_All the wandering beasts, the first type of chiropteran, descend from Diva. Saya's blood, when it comes it to contact with Diva's, or a being created by Diva's blood, crystallizes the being, meaning that Saya's blood is the only thing that can properly finish off the chiropterans who populate the earth. Saya lives to kill her younger sister, Diva, in revenge for something that happened a hundred years ago and likewise Diva is trying to kill Saya, though she's not trying very hard. Diva and her chevaliers; Amshel, Solomon, Nathan, James and Carl, wish to see the entire world populated by chiropterans; that is the motive behind their actions._ Kata closed her eyes as she placed her third pocky since sitting down in her mouth, and a gentle sea breeze blew across her face.

_And now, the Red Queen, Saya, has awoken after going berserk thirty years ago in Vietnam. Perhaps because of her out of control rampage, upon this awakening, Saya does not remember a thing. Though that might be because Hagi lost her, so she didn't get his blood, the blood of awakening, like she usually did. _Kata sighed. _What a stupid chevalier you've got, huh? Saya. Idiot. You're both idiots. Well. This is interesting. Saya is fighting for the Red Shield for a cause she no longer remembers. Right now, This should be fun._

And with a blue blur, Kata was gone.

_Ha! This is fun!_ Thought Kata with glee, a smile lighting up her face. Which was quite alarming really; her face and body were splattered and stained with blood; she looked like an insane serial killer. _I guess I am a serial killer in a way though, huh? If you count the number of chiropterans I've killed as serial murders, then I'd be more legendary than Jack the Ripper. Although,_ Kata jumps, crashing through the ventilation shaft and landing in the midst of two chiropterans. _I wonder if Jack the Ripper viewed it as his duty to kill._ Then her mind was taken up with fighting.

Kata was rather proud of her weapons; two unusual swords that collapsed into their handles. She wielded them well, and she so knew it, they spun like batons in her hands; the blades on either side of the handles slashed through anything they came into contact with. The chiropterans fell to the floor, in pieces as their blood sprayed the room, giving Kata a fresh coating of blood. As they slowly began to crystallize, Kata jumped up into the ventilation shafts once more.

_These really are a fantastic way of travelling._ She though. _Ah. Found them!_ She said. Kata paused above Saya, David and Hagi. Hagi stiffened slightly; with that Kata knew he had sensed her. Saya however, had not, though she should have. The three stood by, slowly recovering as a chiropteran grumbled on the other side of the sealed door. Kata sat, knees up, her blood coated swords dripping.

The Red Shield had organised a mission to try and get George Miyagusuku back; Saya's adoptive father who had been injured when Saya refused to fight, and then stolen by the US Army. Kata frowned. _No matter how you look at it, Saya is annoying. She got her father hurt, and then said she'd fight to get him back. But has she done anything? Nooooo. God. She's useless, and now they're trapped with a pissed off, hungry chiropteran on the other side of the door. _

"Tch." Kata gritted her teeth in annoyance. A barely detectable flicker in Hagi's eyes betrayed him; he had heard something. Probably her. Kata smirked.

She zoned out as David explained his plan, and passed on a memory stick of apparent 'oh-so-important-information' to Saya. _Only she has to get out? What the hell? Damn, this is why I don't like masochists. _David's plan was to open the door, create a diversion, try to get through the chiropteran and find George. _If Hagi discovers who I am, I am really screwed. _Kata though reluctantly; after all, Hagi was more than capable of taking care of them. With a barely audible sigh, Kata stood and moved onto other parts of the American US Army base where the mission was being carried out.

Kata looked up in surprise as she heard a war cry; she knew that cry. Pulling her two swords out of the brain -_if they even have brains _- of a chiropteran. The blood red glow faded from its eyes as its head was split into three pieces; blood sprayed. Kata was well aware that the way she fought was very different from the graceful, one hit style Saya used; hers was much more barbaric, and involved a lot more cutting things into pieces. There was a reason for it, but Kata didn't want to dwell on it, focusing on Saya's cry.

_That was Saya…the pissed off 'I'm going to kill all you chiropterans!' cry. Has she woken up properly?_ Excitement and anticipation surged through her; in a blink Kata was moving through the ventilation. Following the feeling of chiropterans dying, Kata soon found the group.

"Tch." _That brat. Kai. Grrr. What the hell is he doing here, sticking his nose in? And now Hagi's sensed me already. Crap. Kai. Ugh. _Then, as Kata peered through the ventilation shaft, guilt pierced her chest. _Ah. Double crap. Sorry Kai. You're an ass, but no one should have to see their dad die like that…_ Kata's usually hard and slightly jeering expression softened in sympathy; looking at the crystallized form of George Miyagusuku, it wasn't hard for someone like Kata to figure out what was going on.

George Miyagusuku had been turned into a chiropteran somehow; his arm proved that. That fact that his face and torso were still human implied that George had made Saya kill him as a human, before he became a mindless monster. _No one, no matter how brat-like they are, should have to go through that._ She thought, watching the tears spill from Kai's wide eyes. Following his gaze, she saw Saya, eyes blood red and fighting. Well. _Awake…? _

"Has she gone berserk?" asked David, his voice controlled but worry still evident underneath. Hagi shook his head.

"Saya has merely remembered what she must do." He said softly, as the last chiropteran fell to the floor, dead by Saya's hand. Kata, squatting in the ventilation shaft above their heads, sighed.

"We need to get out of here!" David commanded as Saya stood, slightly shell shocked. "Saya! They're bombing this place, we don't have much time!" he snapped. Saya blinked, but when Kai took her hand, she nodded.

_Bombing! Shit! I'm getting out of here!_ With a gulp, Kata collapsed her blood stained swords and strapped them into a specially designed belt barely distinguishable that was barely distinguishable from her trousers, and then took off.

Minutes later, the base exploded, as the Red Shield van moved off, Saya, Hagi, David and Lewis safe inside the van, Kai unharmed and following them on his bike. Kata surveyed them from a tree, which rustled and blew about in the wind of the aftershock from the bomb's explosion. _How interesting. Saya likes the ginger brat. Well. Time to follow them creepily like a stalker for a bit more, huh? I wonder where we're going next._

As it turned out, Kata couldn't follow them where they were going next, nor did she wish to; she really did _not_ want to be stuck on the Red Shield's headquarters -_it's a bloody _boat_ for crying out loud_- and so she simply watched without trying to follow as the Red Shield's HQ; a huge ocean liner that looked like a cruise ship, before smiling and leaving the docks.

_Looks like I'm 'Himi' rather than 'Kata' for a while, huh?_

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**Well... Who is Himi? Is Kata not her real name after all... review and you'll find out! Please? Review? *puppy dog eyes***

**My chapters are getting a bit long... but they will get shorter, I'm working on it!**

**By the way, I added the summary for the benefit of my friend, who wanted to read this but hadn't seen Blood+.**


	5. Chapter 4 : Broken Places

**Chapter 4 - ****Broken Places**

Kata watched from afar as Saya and her 'family' had fun with their 'friends' on the beach. It had been a boring day of sightseeing places they had already seen, and Kata was bored beyond belief. Apparently they were having a barbecue; Kata could not understand how Saya and the others could all be so cheerful after the death of her father, but that wasn't the only reason she was still in shock. _I cannot, absolutely _cannot_ believe they are taking her there. There of all places? Well, _that's_ going to be _fun_! Really fun. Painful memories, old battles, blood stained sight-seeing? Yeah, that'll be great. _Kata huffed from her view point; a cliff near the site of Saya and the others' barbeque. Sarcasm and worry ran through her mind as she muttered to herself.

"God. That's going to be painful. Not just for Saya though, for Hagi, probs Davie-boy (David) too and…heh." Kata hunched, her hands gripping her own forearms so tightly that the finger marks wouldn't disappear for a while. "Yeah. It'll be fun for me too." She muttered, a shaking, slightly clawed hand coming up and touching the part of her fringe that covered her right eye. "Yeah. Really fun."

_And now, more unbelievable-ness. Hey, I made up a new word! _Kata, sat once more at the top of a building and with a pocky stick firmly in her mouth, briefly forgot her grumpiness in a childish fit of joy, but soon returned to grumbling. _Yes, let's come back to the place where I killed loads of people and eat pho with the ginger brat! Yay! Whoop de doo! GOD! _Kata sighed and began to eat her pocky properly. _I really can't believe this. On top of all of the 'let's-be-more-cheerful-than-a-bus-load-of-disney-characters-on-crack-in-a-place-where-I-murdered -a-ton-of-innocent-people' thing, Saya's enrolling in a _school_! Seriously? I swear the Red Shield get more insane every time I encounter them._ Fishing yet another pocky stick from her pockets, Kata continued with her rant. _And I swear I caught Hagi enrolling as a gardener at Saya's new school, just to be close to her!_ Kata rolled her eyes. _Honestly, the love a dog has for his master knows no bounds, huh? And now the ginger brat's being an excited tourist. In _Vietnam_ of all places. Oh. My. God. He. Annoys. Me. So MUCH! ARGH!_

_Wait. _Sucking her pocky, Kata thought for a bit, watching Kai and Riku lead Saya around Vietnam in a fever of excitement. Slowly, a smile curved Kata's lips as she bit her pocky. _Hagi's not the only one who can do desperate measures._

Kata glanced down at the girl she held in her arms with a sigh. Blood trickled from two puncture wounds on her neck. "Sorry Min. I don't need you for very long. Just to meet her." She whispered, before shoving the unconscious girl into the cleaning cupboard. Cruel, but it got the job done, and she could move her later, but right now, she had to go meet her. Her new roommate. Kata ran off, grinning to herself, wearing the lilac uniform of Lycee Vietnam, a boarding school for 'respectable young ladies', and as she ran, her appearance slowly morphed into a small, round-faced girl with short brown hair. Kata fished the girl's glasses out and put them on, so she now had the same appearance of the unconscious girl in the cupboard.

"Sorry I'm late!" Kata gasped, bursting into 'her' dorm, and seeing the headmistress, Miss Lee, and Saya already standing there. It hurt to see Saya so close, and yet so unreachable, but Kata ignored it.

"Saya, this is your roommate, Min." the dry, scratchy voice of Miss Lee introduced her.

"I'm Min." Kata said, fully getting into the character of the cheerful, innocent high-school girl Kata had been observing for the past few days. The fact she could access Min's memories helped too. Kata- no, 'Min' held out her hand for Saya to shake.

As soon as Saya placed her hand in 'Min's', she clasped it with both hands. Saya's eyes widened in shock, before a happy smile crossed her face.

"I'm Saya." She said. Kata's heart gave a small ache, but 'Min' pushed it away. "Nice to meet you."

'Min' beamed.

"Indeed! Welcome!"

Minutes later, Saya and 'Min' were walking down a corridor of the school; a wide one that ran along the edge of the rose-filled courtyard.

"Did you see my card?" 'Min' asked eagerly, as Saya made a small noise of consent. "It was really hard looking up the right Japanese characters." She said. _Bullshit._ Thought Kata, but 'Min' shushed her; the real Min, who was still unconscious in a cupboard, had completely messed up the characters, as a fluent speaker, Kata, especially in the role of the enthusiastic 'Min', could not help but re-do it.

"Thank you." Said Saya, the real gratitude evident in her voice. Kata, hiding behind the appearance and personality of 'Min', watched this 'new' Saya with interest. She could hardly believe it to be the same person.

"We have girls from Hong Kong and Shanghai here, but it's rare to see someone from Japan." 'Min' continued. "Is your father working in Hanoi too?" Kata cursed 'Min'. Stupid move. Saya blinked.

"My father… died… a while ago." She said slowly. Stupid move. Fully in the role of 'Min', Kata could do nothing but blush and curse herself, hidden in 'Min's' mind.

"I see… I'm sorry. Then your mother?" _another stupid move_, thought Kata, as Saya gave a sad smile.

"My mother…" Saya trailed off sadly. 'Min' clasped her hands together.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I see." 'Min's' eyes shifted uncomfortably. "A lot of kids come here because they have had… things happen." 'Min' said awkwardly. Kata longed to reach out to Saya and comfort her properly, but 'Min' had no knowledge of how to comfort Saya, so Kata could do nothing.

"You see," 'Min' continued as Saya blinked at her in surprise. "Many of the kids here come from wealthy families, but they also had problems with their families. Like with my family." 'Min' said, in a very matter-of-fact tone. "My siblings are so caught up in fighting over the family fortune that I refuse to believe I'm related to them!" 'Min' said cheerfully; Kata picking up the opinion from the real Min's memories. "And the person controlling the money is a stingy old butler…" 'Min' said in exasperation, continuing to walk down the corridor.

In the classroom, 'Min' lead Saya over to a group of people she recognised to be 'Min's' friends. Soon, they were engrossed in an easygoing, light-hearted conversation between friends. Kata was cursing herself yet again; she hadn't wanted to spend so much time in the form of Min, she wanted to get back to her own quickly.

"It must be hard to share a room with Min." a dark-haired girl commented jokingly, tearing Kata away from her thoughts and back to 'Min'.

"Just let her ramble on, okay?" a brunette joined in as the other girls laughed.

"Hey, where in Japan are you from?" asked another brunette, this one with lighter hair tied in bunches, eagerly, her face open and smiling.

"Okinawa." Saya replied, relaxing back into the usual School self she had been every day until the chiropteran had attacked Koza High School.

"It's right by the ocean! I know, 'cause I studied Japanese." 'Min' said brightly to one of her friends, while another girl offered her support to Saya;

"If you don't understand something, feel free to ask!"

Suddenly the group were distracted by the shouts of gossip from other girls; a new girl had had her ears pierced. Everyone commented on how cute it looked; and indeed, even Kata had to admit that the gleaming blue studs became the girl well.

"Isn't that against the rules?" came a haughty voice. Everyone turned to see a pretty, upright blonde; her hair swept back of her face. She regarded her class mates in disdain. "If the teachers find out, then you'll be punished." Kata, in her mind, smirked at the haughty girl; one could not help but notice the blonde's bare earlobes. Kata, had she been herself would have made a good comeback to try and put the blonde in her place, as 'Min', she could only frown and ask:

"What? You're not gonna tattle?" Kata cringed.

"Do you think I'd do something so unladylike?" the blonde sneered. _Ah, Min. I could teach you a thing or two about arguing with this kind of girl. Damn, that blonde bitch. _At that moment, the bell rang, and the girls around the room dispersed to their seats for the lesson.

Picking up the knowledge from 'Min', she leaned forward to whisper to Saya the identity of the stuck up blonde.

"That's Anna Mary, she's Miss Lee's favourite student. She'll tattle on you for any reason, so watch out." She warned. Kata was as intrigued by this gossip as Saya looked to be, but as 'Min' it was old news.

After the lesson, 'Min' excused herself and hurried to the cleaning cupboard. Dragging the unconscious girl out, Kata reassumed her form; feeding the memories of meeting Saya from 'Min's' point of view (leaving out Kata's various observations and thoughts) back into the real Min. With a sigh, and firmly back in her own body, Kata began to swap their clothes; she was still wearing Min's uniform, while Min looked odd in Kata's own leather. Sliding the glasses on to the real Min's nose, she heaved her to a bench and laid the sleeping girl there.

"Huh?" Min's eyes opened wide as she realised where she was. "Ah! How could I fall asleep! Saya's waiting for me, and oh, no, I'm going to be late, I am so going to be late!" Flustered, the real Min ran off, the period of time where Kata had taken her place and form melding seamlessly with the present. Satisfied that the real Min was alright, Kata stepped out from behind the tree.

"My, Hagi, gardening becomes you!" Kata exclaimed, clasping her hands together in glee as she surveyed the chevalier. Kata was excited; she had never seen the big man out of his tuxedo-suit thing; the green apron made him look, in Kata's opinion, hilarious. While laughing through her hands, she swung her legs up as she sat on the roof of the school overlooking the courtyard where Hagi the gardener stood, examining the roses with the old gardener, and being simpered over by the school girls.

_No good, girls. I'm afraid Hagi only has eyes for Saya. _Kata thought with a chuckle; speaking of Saya, Kata saw her eyes widen as she spotted Hagi in his gardener's uniform. Kata smirked. _Oh, this is so fun._ A light breeze blew across the rooftops, sending the crazy tendrils of Kata's hair in all directions, which made Kata smile again, but with the cheerfully light hearted breeze came an unmistakable, barely detectable, hated scent that made Kata jolt; the smile fading from her face. _Chevalier. Damn._ In an instant, Kata was on her feet, pocky stick eaten and one hand on her collapsed weapon strapped into her belt. _Here? Then…damn. Phantom._ Kata's eyes narrowed as another gust of wind came spiralling through the school.

Hagi, watching Saya's retreating back as she ran back to her classes with the dagger he had given to her for protection, stiffened and glanced up at the roof tops, but there was nothing but empty air.

"Hanoi, huh?" Kata murmured. "Huh. I seem to be spending a lot of time on the rooftops these days." Kata said with a sigh, as she followed Saya. "It would seem," Kata muttered, pulling another pocky from her pocket as she blurred to the next building. "That bad memories are returning, huh?" she said, her tone light, but the blue eye that you could see was deadly serious and gleaming slightly. Saya, down in the allies below, was breathing hard, her previous frantic sprint now a broken walk. Unbeknown to Saya, Kata followed her, high above. Saya's eyes unfocused and Kata stopped, a few seconds before Saya, weak with exhaustion, leant against the wall at the corner of a wider ally; it looked a bit like the back of a warehouse, filled with crates and tarpaulins, in Kata's opinion, but Saya's eyes didn't see her surroundings, all she saw was blood.

Saya clutched her head and sank to the floor, while Kata's forehead creased with concern.

"I…" Saya stuttered, fear evident in her voice. Saya began to cry, and perhaps Kata would have gone against her own advice to avoid contact with Saya until the return of memories, perhaps Kata would have tried to comfort her; because in the place of the Red Queen, all Kata saw was a lonely girl, afraid and crying. Who knows what Kata would have done; certainly Kata had no idea, but at that moment a voice rang through the heads of both Saya and Kata alike, but it was Saya that the voice called to.

"Saya." Saya gasped, and tried to stop her tears, looking up through her fingers. With eyes wide with fright, Saya gazed into the darkness of the ally; where Kata's one-eyed glare was also directed. _Phantom…_ Kata gritted her teeth, the pocky falling to the roof of the building without a sound. In Saya's vision, all she saw was a blue rose that seemed to glow before her very eyes, suspended in mid-air, but soon the shape of the Phantom appeared behind it.

Kata had not set eyes on the chevalier she had scented at Lycee, and what she saw now, at a slightly less serious time, would have caused a long stream of swearing and then a great deal of shouting about bad dress sense and hair (Kata became strangely irritated at particularly weirdly dressed men. She didn't like Nathan.), but as the timing didn't call for that, she just glared at the chevalier in disgust. He had long black hair past his shoulders, and was wearing a childishly tacky costume; Kata likened it to a child's vampire costume; a mask similar to a chiropteran's face, covering one eye (the same one as Kata's, another thing that pissed her off.) and sticking out like bat wings behind his head. His suit, if flashy, was vaguely normal, but he had a dark blue cloak, cut into zigzags along the hem, which frankly made Kata want to laugh, and then rip into shreds.

_Ripping him into shreds wouldn't be that un-enjoyable either, huh? _Kata gave a malicious grin, before her attention was reclaimed by the dialogue between the Phantom and Saya. The Phantom sniffed the blue rose he held, before throwing it to accurately land at Saya's feet.

"Phan…tom…" Saya stuttered and gasped, her eyes still wide with fear at the bloody scenes of her past, and took a hesitant step back.

_Aaah. She looks like she wants to run away. Can't blame her really, with that outfit. But that's not the headstrong Saya I know…_ Kata reflected, before cursing herself for having a weird 'personality disorder', as she called it, to think about random things and make fun of the most serious situations, when people she loved were in danger. _Shoot._ Kata turned back to the conversation, if you could call it that.

"Saya." The chevalier spoke again, his echoing voice sounding even stronger than usual compared to Saya's thin, weak and terrified words. "I've waited for a chance to meet you." Saya backed away whimpering, drawing another unfelt glare from Kata. Suddenly Saya turned to run away, but the chiropteran, moving with the inhuman speed of a chevalier, jumped up and landed in front of her. Kata gritted her teeth again; finishing her pocky stick she began to draw her weapons. The chevalier raised his hands; one of them was fake, but the other was mottled, clawed and green.

"Chiropteran." Saya murmured, causing Kata to stop, her weapons (though all you could see at that moment were the handles- which looked similar to a katana's) frozen in her hand.

_Oh well done. You noticed! I'm so proud of you! We're screwed._ Kata, once again cursing her mind's ability to wander off into its own little world at critical moments, prepared to unsheathe her swords. Before she could react, however, a dark shape flew overhead, carrying what looked like an undersized coffin and a sword. The coffin -_no, cello case. Ach, Hagi, you weirdo._- smashed into the ground in front of the still petrified Saya, where moments before the Phantom had stood. The chevalier stepped back disgust on his face. Kata smiled and relaxed, but she didn't put her swords away.

It was a good thing she didn't too, because as soon as the Phantom realised that Saya no longer remembered (what he wanted the Queen to remember was a mystery to everyone except possibly Hagi; but by that time he was buried under rubble.)he took to the rooftops and began to run away. Kata's eyes narrowed, and she was about to shoot after him, when Saya gave a small whimper that halted Kata in her tracks. Glancing down at the alley where the Queen stood, Kata realised that Hagi was still buried.

"Tch." Kata landed silently in front of Saya, whose eyes widened in fear. "Hey. I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm just going after the Phantom." Kata spoke slowly, but the words didn't seem to reach Saya; she gripped her blood laced katana and glared, preparing to fight. Kata sighed. "Seriously. I'm telling the truth. I'm just gonna get your idiot dog out." Saya's eyes flickered towards the collapsed crates in the alley, where Kata knew Hagi was. Kata grinned at the fact that Saya immediately thought of Hagi on the word 'dog'.

Kata turned and walked towards the rubble; Saya's eyes flickered back to her and she gripped her sword. Before Kata could do anything, a dagger flew at her face. Ducking on pure instinct, Hagi's dagger flew over Kata's head and embedded itself in the wall. Kata looked at it and whistled, as Hagi dragged himself out of the smashed crates.

"Impressive." Kata said, almost tauntingly, which probably wasn't a good idea, as Hagi slammed into her with his cello case. At least, he would have crashed into her if Kata hadn't flickered away to stand behind him. Hagi stopped and turned; a deadly serious look on his face, but at that moment, with a murmur of:

"I will...accept...past..." Saya collapsed into Hagi's arms. Hagi glared at the other Asian girl in front of him; he could not fight with Saya unconscious in his arms, but Kata did not attack, she simply smiled softly.

* * *

**Yay! Kinda a cliff hanger... but not really. I know this is really, really long, I'm so sorry! **

**I also think it's a tad confusing, so I'll explain here; **

**Kata took on Min's form, like Amshel took on Liza's when they were in Russia and like Diva took on Riku's. The only connection I could figure out was that they drank the blood of the person they were impersonating and then killed them, but I couldn't have Kata killing Min... sorry if that was confusing, but I thought it added a bit of a creepy element of how easily Kata was able to get closer to Saya...**

**Review please!**


	6. Chapter 5 : The Dead come Alive

**Chapter Five - ****The Dead come Alive**

"You thought I was dead, huh?" she asked, jauntily putting her hands (and sword handles) in her pockets. Hagi glowered, before, to her utter surprise, speaking.

"I hoped." He said. Kata blinked in shock; Hagi rarely spoke a word to anyone other than Saya, especially when he was angry; he preferred to simply glower in silence.

"Heh. Then, you think I deserve to die? For what I did?" Kata asked, her visible eye eying Hagi's monstrous right hand that was pointed at her. This time, Hagi stayed true to form and didn't utter a word.

"Sorry Hagi," Kata said with a smile, taking out her weapons and un-collapsing them. The gleaming blades, somehow already laced with Kata's blood, slid out of either ends of the handles with a 'shing'. Hagi prepared to defend himself, Saya still unconscious in his arms.

Kata blinked at his defensive stance before giving a little chuckle which rebounded of the close walls of the alley way. "These aren't for you. I was saying that I'm sorry, 'cause I'm not dying. I," and suddenly Kata was standing on the building, looking the direction the Phantom had taken off in, "I am someone who believes that sins can be atoned for while one is alive." Kata glanced back at Hagi, her blue eye gleaming. "So, sorry. You're gonna have to put up with me for a little while, huh?" and with that, Kata was gone, off after the Phantom.

Saya blearily opened her eyes to see Hagi looking down at her. Another blink, and she realised she was being carried.

"Hagi- the Phan-that girl" Saya, distraught, tried to get out of Hagi's arms, which suddenly became restraining, rather than comforting.

"Saya. You do not need to worry. The Phantom has gone, we shall meet him another night." Hagi said reassuringly. Saya relaxed a bit, but the frown still remained on her face. "But... that girl!" then it was Hagi's turn to frown.

"Saya, you should rest. There was no girl." He said softly. They spent the rest of the way back to Lycee in silence.

Kata was laughing, pocky temporarily held in her hand. Hagi looked down at the girl in hysterics in front of him, somehow managing to look exasperated and expressionless at the same time. Kata stood, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Oh, Hagi, I cannot believe you are wearing that!" Kata spluttered. Hagi's expression soured. "Sorry, sorry!" she exclaimed, trying to hold back the giggles that threatened to overflow. Hagi and Kata were standing on the outskirts of Vietnam; Hagi had left this temporary post as Lycee's gardener, though he still sported the flattering green overall, to seek out the girl he had thought was dead who had mysteriously appeared the previous night.

"Did you get the Phantom?" Hagi asked, cutting across Kata's splutters of mirth. With a sigh, Kata became serious.

"No. He was too fast, plus he knows modern Hanoi better than I do." She said reluctantly; she hated giving up during a chase. "I also figured, once I lost him, that there was no point trying to find him, 'cause that would just arouse suspicion from the Red Shield and Saya, right?" Kata asked. Hagi nodded his agreement.

"The Red Shield do not know of your existence?" he queried, which was met with a violent shake of Kata's head.

"Saya didn't tell them did she!" Kata asked, slightly panicked. Hagi blinked in surprise.

"No, she believes you to be a ghost of her past; she didn't mention it to the Red Shield."

"Good." Kata relaxed and smiled.

"How..." Hagi started, before cutting himself off and looking angrily over the square that they stood at the edge of. Kata glanced up at the far taller man in suspicion.

"How what?" she asked, her voice sharp. Hagi stiffened, before relenting.

"How can you still smile like that after what happened?" he asked quietly; the answer drawn out of him against his will. He still would not meet Kata's eyes, and she turned to look out over the crowds as he did.

"Well. If I don't smile, what have I got? If I let that be taken away, then what do I have left?" Kata said softly, almost to herself. This philosophical answer made Hagi glance over in surprise.

"There is a Dance Party at Lycee tonight. David and Julia are attending in the role of Saya's aunt and uncle, Lewis as their driver, to investigate a container that Saya and I found in a no-access area in the School grounds." Hagi looked out at the crowd once more; Kata didn't move as he updated her on what was happening, but she was just as surprised as he.

"Container?" she said, both of them instinctively keeping their voices down in case of nosy pedestrians. After all, both had bat-like hearing. Hagi's lips thinned.

"The number on the side matches one seen during the Vietnam War thirty years ago. It is believed to be Diva's." Kata quickly squashed her astonishment; mindful that they were in a public place.

"Diva's?" she exclaimed quietly.

"I could sense nothing; if Diva is in there, she is still hibernating."

"I see. Then you go after the Phantom at the Dance Party tonight?"

"Yes."

"Hah. Do you want a hand?" Kata asked, running a hand through the left side of her hair, careful not to disturb the fringe that covered her right eye. Hagi looked over at her again in surprise.

"I thought you were avoiding contact with Saya?"

"I was, but she's not awake yet, is she? I don't want anyone dying just for my own pettiness."

"Thank you, but I don't think we need help. Saya has sufficiently awakened to be able to fight."

"Really? It didn't look like that last night." Kata said, disbelief evident in her voice. Hagi gave a soft smile.

"She is more like before." Kata didn't have to ask what time period Hagi was referring to; there could only be one; before the fight had even started. Kata turned to walk away, the conversation, in her opinion, done, but Hagi called after her:

"Katana." He said. Kata stopped at the sound of her full name.

"Hagi." She said pleasantly, making him jolt. "How many times must I have to tell you to call me Kata?" she asked, turning and placing her hands on her hips, Kata glared at Hagi, pouting like a child.

"um... Kata," Hagi said uncertainly, afraid of the dangerous gleam in Kata's eye.

"What?" she asked, over her brief fit of childish grumpiness, she began to rummage in her pocket.

"We don't need help with the Phantom, but stay close." Kata ceased rummaging, surprised.

"Huh? Stay close?"

"I fear what the Red Shield may make her do in this place. If nothing else, she could lose control again." Both Kata and Hagi's expressions hardened at the thought.

"Got it. Want one?" She asked, placing a pocky in her mouth and motioning to Hagi. Hagi looked vaguely disgusted.

"What..." he trailed off, lost for words.

"Pocky stick. It's a snack." Kata said playfully, enjoying the struggle to be polite going on behind Hagi's expression.

"I think perhaps it is more suited to Saya's taste than mine." Hagi said carefully. Kata laughed, and placed the pocky in her mouth; asking her next question to Saya's chevalier around the snack.

"What about the Ginger-brat-and-co?" she said, looking up at the beginning to drift across the sky with a disappointed expression; it had rained practically non-stop during her time in London.

"Ginger brat?" Hagi queried, confused.

"Kai. And Riku. Miyagusuku." She said, meeting Hagi's eyes as he held back a smile.

"Really?"

"Well, I could go with Damn-ginger-bastard, but somehow it didn't have the same ring, huh?" Said Kata with a shrug. "So, where are they?" Hagi looked uncomfortable, a fact that did not escape Kata. She might only be using one eye to see, but that didn't mean she wasn't observant.

"We…The Red Shield…left them behind in Hanoi." Hagi said quietly. Kata gazed at him out of the corner of her eye, before taking her pocky from her mouth; one end covered in saliva.

"Saya doesn't know, huh?" she said. Hagi looked even more uncomfortable, so Kata took that as a yes. "Geez. If she finds out, she's gonna be pissed. Well. I don't really know the new Saya, but I'd be pissed." Kata said, biting the saliva coated end of her pocky and rubbing the back of her head in a half resigned, half exasperated way.

"I believe David wants to test Kai's resolve. If he simply gives up and goes home, then that is probably for the best; those who follow Saya have to be strong." Said Hagi, trying to redeem himself from the error of keeping secrets from his Queen.

Kata laughed.

"I guess that's true. Ha. Well, laters big guy. I'll keep close." And with that, Kata walked off and disappeared into the crowds; lifting one hand in farewell.

Hagi gazed after her, looking confused. Well, as confused as Hagi, who rarely showed much emotion, could look. _Big guy?_ He frowned.

* * *

**Please review! gah. I'm so tired... lol, sorry about the 'big guy' stuff, but that's what I would call him, so... sorry!**


	7. Chapter 6 : Bloody Memories

**Chapter 6 - Bloody Memories**

Kata kept her word; she stuck close. Closer than Hagi had meant, perhaps, but close nonetheless. She watched from the rooftops as the Dance Party, gritted her teeth and had to be restrained by Hagi, who sensed her anger and rushed to keep her unnoticed, when she saw Saya dancing with Solomon; a chevalier, and finally followed, like an invisible shadow, as Saya ran from the party and into the basement, on Hagi's warning look stayed in the rafters and watched as Saya tried and failed to kill the Phantom, and finally flickered silently after them, to watch the David call Lewis, ordering him to bring the car quickly. Julia hurried after him -_who knew the doctor could glam herself up like that, huh? _- followed by Hagi, and then Saya; whose borrowed dress was slashed and stained with blood; a scratch dribbled red down her cheek. Kata stopped just outside the entrance, and before anyone had even thought to look behind, she was on the roof.

"Saya!" came a scared voice and Saya whipped around to face the caller; eyes still glowing blood red, covered in blood and healing before Min's startled eyes. The glow died from Saya's eyes as her face softened.

"Min…"

"Saya." Hagi had also turned; taking her arm the chevalier and his Queen hurried to the Red Shield's van.

"Sorry, Min." Kata stood on the roof, watching the girl with glasses gaze after her friend in confusion. The boy she had been waiting with dropped his food-laden plate, his eyes wide.

"What… the hell?" he muttered.

_Kata. _Kata stiffened as Hagi's voice echoed in her mind, before she recognised his mental thoughts. _I got it. I'll take care of it._ She thought, and she felt Hagi's mental presence fade from her mind. The boy down below turned to run back, panicked into the hall where the Dance Party was being held, but before he had even taken a step, another weird Asian girl dropped down, apparently from the air, and landed softly in front of him. With a small whimper, he fainted.

Kata sighed. _What a wimp._ Kneeling down, Kata placed a hand over the unconscious boy's face and shut her eyes. Concentrating, the memories of the past five minutes were obliterated from the boy's thoughts; when he awoke, he would no longer remember seeing Saya, or the Red Shield. Kata looked up to see the form she had borrowed; Min, who was shaking, eyes wide and fixed on Kata as she stood and began to walk towards her. Min gave a small cry, her voice thin with terror, as Kata reached out to touch the girl's forehead. The last thing Min saw before all memories of Saya were wiped from not only her mind, but the entire schools, was a glowing, unnaturally bright green eye gazing at her.

By the time Kata caught up with the Red Shield, they were on a boat, having met up with some other, equally annoying, Red Shield members, travelling down a river through the jungle. _God damn it, where are they going! _Kata grumbled as she picked her way through the creepers; keeping out of sight of the others was easy, but keeping up with them and keeping silent was a whole different story; thus she was pissed. _And surely you see that there is something fishy about taking Diva's container, if it even is her's, into the middle of a bloody jungle? Wait,_ Kata stopped to breathe again, thinking hard. "That bastard David." She muttered, before wiping the sweat from her forehead and clambering over a half-fallen, twisted tree. _I bet he knows this is probably a trap and his shoving Saya into it anyway. And there is yet another perfect example of why I hate masochists. _Kata gritted her teeth and moved on.

Suddenly she stiffened; poised on the top of a creeper laced bolder, as an eerie singing slowly echoed through the forest, filling her mind.

"Ugh." Kata collapsed on her knees, clutching the eye she kept visible; the green one. But her green eye was no longer green; slowly, in a curling tendril like blood clouding in water, it was turning blue. _Diva._ Biting her tongue so hard it bled to try and distract herself, Kata got to her feet. "Come on, girl. I'm betting they need you now..." Kata said to herself. Finally, the pain ebbed, though the singing didn't stop; and Kata was able to concentrate once more. Spitting the blood out of her mouth, she leapt into the trees; keeping out of sight was no longer an issue, thought Kata grimly; if that singing was Diva's, chances were Saya wouldn't be able to fight at the onslaught, or she would have gone berserk. _Neither of those options are that great, huh?_

Meanwhile, the Red Shield group had reached a cleared space in the tangled jungle; a grand mansion, similar in structure to the White House, sat looking ever so slightly out of place in said clearing. The Red Shield were grouped together in a defensive ring in what might have been a sort of drive-way, as small, child-sized figures in red robes filed out of the mansion, humming eerily along to a song only Saya, Hagi and Kata could hear. Saya, upon hearing the song, had clutched her head, unable to fight, and know she knelt in apparent agony in the centre of the defensive circle, Hagi, whose concern could only be picked up by those who knew him well, by her side.

One of the back-up Red Shield members, a man named Spencer, was slightly ahead of the group; though he stepped back in panic as a small red-cloaked child reached up to him.

"What the..." he muttered. "Children?" But they were not children; the one closest to Spencer allowed their hood to drop; revealing a child's face, but soon the face was torn apart with a horrible, sticky tearing sound, and there stood a chiropteran; but child-sized, it's cry was nasal and nothing like the lion's roar of the fully fledged monsters the Red Shield normally dealt with.

"Shit! Chiropterans!" Spencer yelled, and the Red Shield Special Operations Team, along with David and Lewis, opened fire.

Still several miles away, Kata gritted her teeth as she shot from tree to tree, the song still echoing through her head, bringing back unwelcome memories and causing her left eye, the only one visible, to ache. _Damn. Chiropterans? No...It's different. Half-chiropterans?_ Kata thought in confusion; what she was sensing was definitely chiropteran, but it wasn't chevalier, Queen, or the usual mindless monsters. _Whatever that is, it's not good. _Her eyes narrowing, Kata, unbelievably, sped up.

The Red Shield had managed to battle their way to the front door; seeking refuge from the tiny but deadly monsters that ripped their way out of the children's bodies, coming in an onslaught that they could only barely hold back; Saya was supported by Hagi, her katana useless at her side. Finally, two of the Red Shield Special Operations Team, Rodgers and Spencer, urged the others inside the house.

"Go, we'll hold them here." David stopped as Hagi ran inside, Saya, barely conscious, held like a rag doll under one of his arms.

"What..." David yelled, resigned anguish written across his stern features. It was suicide.

"Go!" yelled Rodgers with a grin.

"We've been waiting to get our hands on some of these monsters! Eat this!" agreed Spencer, firing straight into one of the mini chiropteran's faces. Clara, a fierce woman from the Red Shield Special Operations Team, shook her head.

"To think they would do this to _children_!" she exclaimed, before rushing inside with a nod to her comrades. David reluctantly shut the big heavy door and helped Clara bar it.

Outside, Spencer and Rodgers shot chiropteran after chiropteran, but they just kept coming; it was inevitable that one would break through their defence eventually; and one did, falling on Rodger's face like a wild cat. Spencer cried out.

"Rodger!" and aimed his gone at the beast, but the gun he was handling could kill his comrade, so he switched to a pistol as fast as he could before shooting the monster through the head. But it was too late; the chiropteran may have acted like a cat, but it was a deadly one; Rodger was dead, scratches and gashes oozed blood and pus from all over his face, his tongue, mid-scream, coated with his own blood and hanging out of his mouth.

Spencer flinched as he supported his comrade; but Rodger was already dead.

"Rodger…" he muttered, before falling with a cry to yet another chiropteran. Spencer shot desperately, the heads and limbs of chiropterans exploding with sprays of blood and oozing flesh, but it was to no avail; he could shoot all he liked, but he knew he wasn't likely to get out alive; there were too many of the monsters, and he couldn't always kill all of them. He gritted his teeth. He might not have a hope of living through it, but he was going to take down as many of the damned beasts as he could. With renewed vigour, Spencer shot, and shot and shot.

But a man can only carry so many bullets; finally, Spencer fell under a total of about three child-sized monsters. He shut his eyes with a grimace; preparing himself for the inevitable pain and death. It came; the beasts not having the full power of a chiropteran to kill or mortally wound a man with one blow; Spencer having to simply endure thousands of deep, painful cuts, never enough to kill him.

The end was close; Spencer could feel it and just wished it would hurry up, when with a 'shing' noise and a slash of deadly silver, the monsters ravaging him fell in pieces to the floor; spraying blood and slowly crystallizing. Spencer gave a half gasp, half gurgle, trying to express his relief that the beasts were gone, and despair that now dying was going to take that much longer. His eyes roved until they fixed on a figure bending down on him; Kata.

"Whoa." Kata suppressed the urge to flinch as she caught sight of Spencer's bloody and torn face. "Okay, stay with me big guy, come on." She muttered, heaving him up. Spencer's eyes finally seemed to focus; fixing on her.

Spencer gazed in confusion at this girl; she looked about fourteen or fifteen, with a shaggy bob of black hair; her fringe falling pointedly over her right eye, shielding it from view. Her other eye was a pure, crystal blue; it's intensity shocking Spencer in some indescribable way to the core. He realized she was supporting him; she must be strong, and he wondered idly if she was human, but the concerned way she looked at him proved she wasn't an enemy, human or not, and so the thought drifted away. Spencer felt his grip on life begin to slip, and saw the girl begin to speak. It was a while before the words knitted themselves together in the right way in his mind; when he made sense of what she was saying, it made him smile.

"Come on. I can still save you." Kata said frantically, noticing the gleam of life beginning to fade from Spencer's eyes. She began to lever him down again, but a shaking hand, streaming blood and missing a finger, laid itself on her arm. She froze in surprise, her eye flickering to the man's face. He gave a slight shake of his head, the small action tiring him out; though Kata could see he was so far gone he felt no pain.

"Don't..." he stammered through waves of dizziness and tiredness. Spencer's vision seemed to spin, but the girl's blue eye didn't waver, allowing him to get the rest of his sentence out. "Just...k...kill...me...qui-" his breath hitched, and Kata, realizing what he was going to ask of her, involuntarily tightened her grip on his shoulders. She shut her eyes. "Let me...die." Spencer's body seemed to give him a final burst of life; his next words came through to Kata unbearably clear. "I have no regrets. So..." his eyes turned pleading. Kata gritted her teeth to try and hold back a wave of pain.

Spencer smiled as Kata gently, but surely, slid the blade of one of her swords into his heart. With his dying breath, Spencer did something Kata could never have expected, and the moment would never leave her.

"Thank you..." and with that he was gone. Kata closed her eyes again, shaking slightly, before rubbing her eyes –_to get rid of the grit._ - and standing. That man wouldn't have wanted her to stand about crying over him; he was a fighter. He would have wanted the strange girl who let him die in peace to continue the fight. Kata knew this, and as a fellow fighter understood this, so she finished off the rest of the child chiropterans with ruthless efficiency; none escaped her whirling blades as they sliced and cut and slashed.

Finally, the drive was littered with dead bodies and blood; only Kata breathed there, and soon she was gone, heaving the heavy front door opened and slipping inside, breaking the barricade with a kick. The Red Shield, however, were not there to see this display of strength; having already moved on through the mansion. Searching for what, Kata wasn't sure.

"Tch. Damn. Hagi, come on! You've got to have given me a clue; I can't sense anything, Diva's singings' completely jammed my senses. Damn it!" she growled, sniffing in irritation. "Damn it. Nothing. Oh crap." She sighed, closed her eyes, and picked a random direction, flitting along it silently, willow like. Soon she discovered it was the right way; Kata wasn't squeamish so she simply strode down the corridor, ignoring the telltale splashes of blood and tiny chiropteran limbs, but she still noticed. Diva's song began to give her a headache; her senses more jammed than before, she almost didn't pick up Hagi's warning.

_Kata!_ Just one word. Her name. Quite an important word, when you thought about it. But even though it was just one word, a connection between the minds of Hagi and Kata was still needed, and even if that connection barely lasted a second, it was enough for Kata to tell several things, some good and some bad. She sped up.

_Well. On the plus side, most of the Red Shield members are still alive, Diva's stopped singing and I know where they are. On the negative side, the ginger-brat's showed up, Riku is probably here as well, some of the mutant kids are still alive, the Phantom is here, David's injured, Diva's probably gone and Saya is still unconscious, unable to fight and now the situation is so bad Hagi of all people is asking for help. Why is it that the negative things always outweigh the positive things? Damn, the world is unfair. _Kata though grimly, flying round the corner so fast dust, mixed with dust particles, flew.

Saya's eyes, glowing brighter than Kai had ever seen them, flicked to him from the Phantom, who stood on the railings of a gallery type structure that ran along one side of the large room. The room itself was furnished, and looked as though it might have been a sort of parlour / conservatory; lounges, sofas, rugs, vases and paintings filled it, but right now, what once must have been an elegant room looked like hell. Blood covered every surface, chiropteran limbs, muscles, flesh and brains splattered across the walls, the stuffing torn from the sofas, humans lay dead, dying or wounded, Hagi, weak from blood loss, thrown against a wall, shattering a mirror. Kai stood at the edge of the destruction, and at the centre stood Saya, covered in the blood of comrades and enemies alike.

"Saya…" Kai muttered in shock, terror thinning his voice and preventing the scream boiling inside him from coming out. The Phantom stood above her on the balcony; he eyed Kai like someone who has just noticed a small, annoying bug; a frown crossed his features.

"SAYA!" Finally, the scream erupted, and then all sounds faded from Kata's ears.

Down the hallway, hidden in the shadows of a broken wall, Kata's body slumped from its arch of pain, one clawed hand still clutching, almost tearing, at her right eye, her disarrayed fringe still hiding it from view, as the light faded from her eyes.

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**oooooooooooooooh. What has happened to Kata? Will Saya regain her sanity? (duh.) so yeah.**

**please review!**

Chapter 6 - **Bloody Memories**


	8. Chapter 7 : Heart Blood

**Chapter 7 - ****Heart Blood**

Hagi watched as Riku, Kai, David and Julia stood near a cage, containing a young girl, barely thirteen, half her body a monster. Her fingers moved in a rhythmic way that he half-recognised, but his mind was taken up with more important things, and he didn't pay it much heed. It was the aftermath of the battle; Diva's container was gone, the Phantom had escaped, Saya had gone berserk, but Kai had brought her back to herself. Hagi's frown deepened minutely; few people knew him well enough that it would have been noticed, and those people were not watching.

He wasn't sure what to feel, or think, about the fact that he, who had been by Saya's side for centuries, who had once been the closest to her, could do nothing in the face of her mindless rampage, and yet the ginger brat (the name had taken hold in his thoughts, if not in his words) could bring her back so easily. Saya stepped forwards to comfort her family; and Hagi could not follow. He looked away, back towards the mansion, and only then did he notice something. Kata's presence, her unique flare, had faded. Disappeared almost entirely, all he could feel was a faint echo. His frown deepened, noticeably this time.

"Hagi. What's wrong?" asked David, all business. Hagi worked to clear his expression, and turned his head to look at the blonde man. David already had one hand in his jacket; resting on the cold grip of his revolver, his eyes scanning the area. Saya glanced up from giving Riku a hug; both Miyagusuku brothers followed her gaze.

"Nothing." Said Hagi quietly; an idea suddenly striking him. "I will check the area for any remaining chiropterans." He made to move off at a nod of approval from David, giving Saya a searching look, before disappearing into the house, alone.

_Once, it would have been her suggesting we check. She would have rushed to my side._ Mentally shaking himself, Hagi, now out of sight of Saya and the Red Shield, searched for the faint echo of Kata's presence. He would have never admitted it, not even to himself, but he was inexplicably worried about that girl.

He hurried through the blood stained corridors, honing in on Kata's fading presence. Finally he rounded a corner, where the presence was strongest, but as soon as he moved away from the corner, it faded. Hagi stopped and turned, seeing a collapsed wall that provided the perfect shadows for someone to hide in. Hurrying towards it, Hagi found his hunch had been right; Kata was there, unconscious, her breathing laboured and her hand clutching at her hidden eye as if she would tear it from its socket.

"Kata." Hagi reached out with his bandaged hand to gently shake her shoulder. Kata didn't stir. "Katana." Hagi shook harder, and with a murmur of agony, Kata was brought back to consciousness. She gasped like someone learning to breathe, and suddenly Hagi wasn't shaking her; he was supporting her as her back arched once more, showing into sharp relief what Hagi had missed in the darkness.

One of Kata's swords was impaled in her heart; one end pointing up in an bloody arc, the other buried in her chest, the handle in the middle well worn and red with old blood. Hagi gasped, unable to hold back his surprise. Kata let nobody touch her swords; she would break them herself before that happened, and yet here she was stabbed.

"Kata!" Hagi said urgently, seeing her green eye fix on him suddenly; clarity dawning.

"Ha...Hagi?" she panted, confusion clouding her face once more. "What... ow." Kata winced, and suddenly a scream burst out of her, echoing shrilly through the air, grating against Saya's eardrums. In confusion, the Red Shield began to run into the mansion, as the screams continued.

In Hagi's arms, Kata writhed, her hand clawing at her right eye. Suddenly, with a sound more like a cry of distress than a scream, Kata grabbed Hagi's shoulder, heaving herself up and meeting his eyes with startling intensity.

"End it!" she got out, as with another cry her fringe, for the first time in thirty years, slid off her right eye, revealing it to Hagi. Hagi was expecting it, but what he saw when looked at by both of Kata's eyes still gave him a jolt.

One bright blue, an unnatural shade of brightness. The other, the one she took such care to hide, was a bright, blood red colour, glowing as bright as Saya's matching eyes had been twenty minutes ago, and somehow all the more terrible in comparison to her green eye. Mismatched eyes. Mismatched natures. Hagi knew it all, had seen it all, but it still tugged his heartstrings to see Kata, half out of her mind with insanity; the two bloods fighting inside her.

"Make it STOP!" Kata's back arched once more as her body healed and pushed her sword out of her heart with a horrible gloop-noise, her voice rising into another scream.

Hagi was at loss; he had no idea what to do and simply held onto the screaming girl in his arms and looked at her in desperation; not only was it terrible to watch, but the Red Shield, and Saya, were drawing steadily closer; Kata abhorred the Red Shield and the Red Shield didn't exactly like her much either; if they were to come into contact now, while Kata was defenceless and Saya didn't remember her, there would be trouble.

At his desperate look, Kata used what little remaining strength she had to choke out a solution; gory, painful and difficult, but it had worked last time.

"Just...knock me out!" Kata's breath exploded out of her as she struggled against the tide of pain and madness; Hagi's arms tightened around her as he bent his head to try and catch her gasped words. "Do...it! It's the only way to stop this!" she cried; the sentences suddenly coming more fluidly. Hagi's eyes widened; it was a terrifyingly difficult prospect; but his will to protect Saya from Kata if she lost control over rode his disgust.

By the time the Red Shield finally found Hagi, the screams had long stopped. They slowed as the saw the man, his cello case on his back, unharmed and calmly waiting for them.

"Hagi!" Saya gasped, as David ran up to him. Hagi suddenly realised he was coated in blood; Kata's blood. David, ever the soldier, scanned the area, his gun in hand.

"What happened?" he asked, all business. Hagi looked away from Saya's scared face; pushing aside the wave of guilt that hit him upon seeing her eyes wide with fear.

"There was a chiropteran. It was a little stronger than the others." David seemed to accept this explanation and put his gun away. Saya's grip relaxed on her sword, a fact that did not escape Hagi.

"Where is it?" asked Julia, as David contacted Lewis, who had waited outside. Hagi frowned. _Watching us from the floor above._ He thought, resisting the urge to smile. Julia was a scientist, of course she would want specimens, but Hagi was still irritated by the question. He simply looked at her; taking full advantage of the fact that most of the Red Shield members were scared of him; having only confirmed his existence thirty years ago, and soon Julia backed off, and eventually the Red Shield, Saya, the Miyagusuku brothers and Hagi left the broken and blood-stained mansion.

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**Yeah... when Kata says 'knock me out' she's asking Hagi to injure her so badly that she looses consciousness, and with a chiropteran that's hard and painful, so... please review!**


	9. Chapter 8 : The Sword and the Sheath

**Chapter 8 ****The Blade and the Sheath **

Despite the Red Shield heading back to headquarters, they didn't actually reach the docks without running into trouble. In Hanoi, though, things quickly got complicated. It was all Kata could do to contain her laughter and keep following Saya as the Red Shield quickly got lost several times, couldn't find where the Red Shield HQ was docked and then were successfully split up, all in quick succession in under an hour. Kata was still grinning as she followed Saya, Hagi and the ginger brat from a safe distance as they headed down a wide mostly deserted street.

_Oh, that's too funny. David, the smart-cool-calculated-always-on-the-ball-and-in-control David, seriously managed to lose Saya, Hagi and Kai! Ha! I am SO definitely making fun of him!_

Kata suddenly stiffened, and glanced across the crowd, seemingly seeing straight through it.

_Damn. Chiropterans._ Kata shot a glance at Hagi to find his eyes suddenly meeting hers. Startled, Kata dropped her gaze, but that moment of contact had been enough; Hagi knew there were chiropterans in the area, and he wasted no time informing Saya; Kata could vaguely hear the ginger brat protesting at being left behind. With a sigh, Kata slipped down a helpfully deserted alley way, and within seconds she was on the roof, another pocky in mouth, following Hagi as he sped towards the chiropterans, Saya in his arms.

_Huh. Saya's being treated like a princess again, huh? Hagi, you are such a pushover. Honestly._ Hagi finally came to a stop in a wide back alley surrounded by warehouses, and soon enough three chiropterans had lumbered through, drawn to the Saya's scent, and Hagi and Saya engaged in battle. Kata watched disinterested, finishing her pocky.

_Only three, huh? How boring. Mmmm. Though I guess now is a good a time as any…_ With a sigh, and then a devilish grin, Kata unsheathed her swords with a 'shing', and she thought she saw Hagi stiffen at the sound. Though she couldn't be sure, as he was currently fending off a chiropteran with his cello case.

Saya gritted her teeth as she stood back to back with Hagi, preparing to fight the second chiropteran. One already lay dead on the ground, crystallized, so the odds were looking up, but Kata could see that Saya was tiring.

_Alrighty then. Lift off…_

_And slash through the head with one blade, shoulder with the other. Foot down, pivot and swing blade through head then back through abdomen, one last shove and it's in pieces._ Kata saw out of the corner of her eye, as she sliced up the chiropteran, Saya's eyes widen in shock, before Kata instinctively flitted out of sight; wary of contact with the Red Queen again. _Ugh. Come on, Kata, you can't still be nervous after so much time …_

But Saya didn't focus on Kata, or the absence of the mysterious slayer of the chiropteran, for very long; soon she was engaged in battle with the third. Steeling herself, Kata ignored her instinctive wariness and flickered into place; behind Saya, backing her up.

Saya lunged at the chiropteran; clumsily, and it missed, but Hagi threw a dagger, and Kata came into play. With a final shove from Saya and a slash from Kata, the third chiropteran hit the floor, in pieces, spraying blood and, well, dead. Saya stepped back, gasping and out of breath. Hagi retrieved his dagger, while Kata watched, as she was seemingly completely ignored. Kata narrowed her eyes.

"Hagi. You are not going to fool me with that, I know you are very aware that I'm here, so get over yourself and come and say hello." Kata said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Saya started and whipped around, sword raised.

Kata widened her eyes in a protest of innocence and dropped her swords, as Saya glared at her, the red glow of battle shining in her eyes.

"Whoa, Saya! I was just saying! Anyway, I should say hi too, huh?" Kata said, once again displaying that incredible ability to completely go off topic in the most serious of situations. "Then, hi!" Kata said, beaming at Saya like she was a long lost friend. Saya blinked and the tip of her katana dropped in her shock. "Long time no see!" Saya's mouth dropped open, as Hagi repressed the urge to roll his eyes.

"Hagi, do you know her?" Saya said, confusion written across her face. Hagi stepped forwards so he was directly behind Saya's right shoulder.

"Yes. She is Katana. Ibukishi Katana, she's a… friend." He said soberly, ignoring the glare Kata shot him upon the mention of her full name.

"Ignore the stodgy old dog, and please call me Kata. I hate being called 'sword'." Kata grumbled, shooting Hagi yet another glare as she grasped Saya's free hand. Saya dropped her katana in surprise, staring down at her hand, clasped in both of Kata's, in shock.

Perhaps even God doesn't know what Saya would have done next, but at that moment Kai rushed into view, David and Lewis in tow, shouting loudly. Kata gritted her teeth in annoyance, which drew a small smile from Hagi, but didn't let go of Saya's hand.

"Saya! Are you alright!" Kai yelled, cannoning up to them and only coming to a stop when he noticed Kata, a few seconds later. David and Lewis stopped too, and soon all eyes were on Kata, but she eyed them back with surprising zeal for someone who had two guns aimed at her face.

Kata rolled her eyes at David and Lewis, who were both staring at her with that inscrutably suspicions expression that you could only pull off if you were in the army.

"Jeez. Don't shoot the sword." Saya cocked her head; those words and the tone with which Kata said them somehow reminded her of something, a memory that was still veiled. David, however, didn't give into his confusion, and narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean by that? Who are you?" He snapped, his voice brittle, while Kai eyed Saya's hand that Kata was holding.

"Katana Ibukishi." Kata opened her mouth to introduce herself, but Hagi beat her to it, and everybody's eyes shifted to the chevalier waiting patiently in the shadows. Saya seemed to wake up a little, and gently removed her hand from Kata's.

"Hagi said she was a friend." Saya said, looking at David anxiously; all of a sudden she was certain of the truth behind Hagi's words, and didn't want to see Kata hurt in the slightest, though she didn't know where that inexplicable feeling came from.

"Friend? She looks like your family, Saya!" Lewis rumbled cheerfully; but although his voice was cheerful, it seemed to have the opposite effect on everyone else, who all turned to stare at Kata again in shock.

When you looked, it was impossible to miss; Kata was far from the spitting image of Saya, but she definitely looked like her. If it wasn't for Kata's very different hair, clothes and general attitude, one might mistake her for Saya, or Saya for Kata. David muttered something under his breath that not one person heard. Unfortunately, perhaps, for David, there were several non-humans in the vicinity. Both Hagi and Kata heard, and Saya probably would have too, if Kai had not at that moment butted in and started bombarding her with questions concerning Kata.

As it was, upon hearing David's word, Hagi visibly stiffened, his chiropteran hand unconsciously curling into a claw, while Kata had a very different reaction; she looked as though she was trying not to laugh.

"Um, David," Kata's voice dropped low as she suddenly seemed to appear right behind him. Kata tugged on his arm to get David to bend down to her level; so unexpected was this move that David had no time to resist. "I'm not Diva." she murmured in his ear, and David shifted away at the small breath that tickled the sensitive skin inside his ear and made him shiver. But Kata's uncomfortably close distance from his face was not the only reason for the shiver; though it might have been the primary one. The real reason though, for the shiver, or to be more accurate; _shudder _was the name; Diva. Just the name sent chills down David's back.

David shot Kata suspicious glare; her visible blue eye stared back, denying completely her claim of identity. Kata grinned.

"You can't trust me on everything, but this you can. I am not Diva. Diva… well. Last time I knew, she was being moved across Vietnam." Kata held back a giggle as she saw David stiffen; he had been there when Diva's container, and a chance at Diva, had slipped through the Red Shield's fingers once again.

David made a small growling noise and fought his way out of Kata's grip, although technically Kata let him go; if she'd really wanted to hold onto him David would have had no chance. Straightening his suit and ignoring Lewis's questioning look and Kata's smirk, he walked a small distance from the group, pulling his phone out as he did so.

Kata watched David for a while, and although she could have listened to the conversation, she didn't bother, instead slipping back into the shadows to wait in comfortable silence with Hagi. Lewis and joined in Saya and Kai's conversation about Lewis's soup; obviously Lewis had to boast, so when David came back to the group, grim faced, it made Kai jump.

"We're taking her to HQ." he said shortly.

"What? So you can test me?" Kata asked archly, her voice suddenly brittle. Walking forwards until she was about a metre away from David, and facing him directly, Kata gave a small dry laugh.

"I know you, Red Shield, and your funny ways. You really think I'm going to be a subject for your experiments? Forget it. I'm coming with you to your Headquarters, but I will NOT be used as a test subject. Clear?" Kata snapped, and the practised authority in her voice meant that David decided that an argument with a strange chiropteran-killing adolescent girl really wasn't what he needed right now and so David just nodded complacently.

"Excellent. Now that that's cleared up, you can explain to me why the Red Shield HQ is a cruise liner, huh?" Kata said cheerfully, shoving Kai out of the way none to gently so she could link arms with Saya. Saya's eyes widened, but somehow the feeling of Kata's arm through hers was somehow nostalgic; like a happy childhood memory you can't quite remember, and Saya didn't protest, much to both David and Kai's irritation. However, neither male complained, and so they continued to the Red Shield HQ, and Saya spent the entire journey futilely trying to explain to Kata why Headquarters was a cruise liner.

Joel Goldschmidt VI sighed, exasperated. Kata had flat out refused to be tested in any way; she had trashed a lot of valuable medical equipment already proving that she was not going to be tested on, and no one felt like using force on a girl who could kill chiropterans apparently more easily than even Saya could. So now, Kata was sitting on a chair, swinging her legs like a two year old, in front of Joel's desk, while he sat behind it, trying to get answers from Kata. This was literally harder than getting blood out of a stone. Seriously. H.A.R.D.

Kata looked up with yet another giggle; it was so much fun to tease Joel.

_Yep, it looks like it was good timing to meet up with Saya now, huh? Oh Joel, Joel, Joel. You are so easy to tease._ Kata shot a huge, blinding smile in Joel's direction, and he winced.

"Look, Katana-"

"Kata. Don't call me 'sword', it's annoying." Kata said, her light tone barely concealing the underlying threat. Joel sighed again.

"Right. Kata. Please, at least tell me who you are?" Joel had almost given up, and sure enough, Kata just hummed a tune to herself in an experimental way. Kata laughed and stood up; it was by now almost midnight, and she was tired, and if she got any more pissed off she was fairly certain she was going to kill someone.

"Don't worry about it, Joel. The 'sword' has returned to the 'sheath'." Kata said softly, before melting into the shadows to God knows where. Joel massaged his head with one hand; the last few hours had given him an awful headache, and that last comment had been the most progress with Kata made; and it didn't even make sense.

"Sword… sheath. Sword and… sheath." Joel muttered to himself, pouring a glass of whisky as he did so. As he drank, he suddenly choked.

"Of course." He breathed, before chuckling. "Damn that girl, she's clever. The sword and the sheath. Katana and Saya. Heh. Returned, mmm? Well." And Joel downed the rest of the whisky, a small, slightly indulgent smile on his face.

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**Right... so that's chapter eight - redone! I thought I had finished this, but I enjoyed writing it too much, so I have decided to continue XD**

**Please review! **


	10. Chapter 9 : Swords and Secrets

**Chapter 9 Swords and Secrets **

Not one member of the Red Shield understood why Joel had suddenly decided to trust Kata, or why Kata had suddenly become part of Saya's team. She was with Saya almost as constantly as Hagi was, which was no small feat, and no one understood Kata herself either, least of all David. David was now questioning the man who was both his leader and his friend as to why Kata was apparently an honouree Red Shield member.

"Joel, this girl is obviously dangerous! Why on earth are we letting her get close? We should just have Saya kill her and be done with it!" David said stiffly, facing Joel solemnly. Joel had a soft smile on his face, and was swirling a glass of water around in his hand.

"What's that saying, David? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer?" Joel looked up and met David's anxious eyes.

"For now, I believe it is beneficial not just for us but also for Saya to allow Kata to stay." David stuttered wordlessly.

"Bu-But!"

"David, I'm sure you noticed her effectiveness in battle. At this present moment, she is a better killer than Saya, and certainly much more capable of killing Diva."

"For all we know, she could be Diva! The only eye we can see is blue, just like hers!" Joel looked up with a smile.

"I believe that Diva's nature is far to ingrained for her to try and pass herself off as someone like Kata. At the very least, I cannot see Diva eating a pocky, can you?"

Kata watched as Saya battled Hagi for sword practice on one of the highest decks of the ship. She stood at the side, leaning on a railing, and Kai was also watching, a pointedly far distance from Kata. Riku was helping Lewis in the kitchen, and David was standing further away, glaring and half watching Hagi and Saya and half in his own world. Kata shook her head, finishing off her pocky with an exasperated bite. The movement did not escape Hagi, or Saya, and both paused to look at her, Saya out of breath. Kata shook her head yet again, striding forwards with her hands on her hips, looking like an angry teenage mother.

"Honestly! Hagi, I'm ashamed of you. What on earth have you been doing?" Hagi stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face, while Saya glanced back and forth between them, confused.

"Saya, you're rusty. Seriously." Kata said shooting a glare at Hagi that obviously showed who she blamed for this. Saya blinked, before sheepishly looking down at her sword.

"I…I know I'm not very good, but Hagi is helping me." She said, wanting to defend Hagi. Kata rolled her eyes.

"I never said you weren't any good, I just said that you were rusty. This is because Hagi is lazy." Hagi's eyes narrowed minutely, as Saya looked at him, her mouth a perfect circle of surprise.

"Here," Kata grinned devilishly. "Let me show you just how lazy he's being." And with that, Kata drew her baton-swords. As she unsheathed them, Saya stood back, while Hagi didn't move.

"Right. Hagi, try and cut me. First blood wins." Kata said, her stance suddenly poised for movement. Hagi didn't move, but Kata wasn't backing down, and continued to stare at him with a taunting smile on her face. Finally, Hagi gave in. By this time, even David's attention was aroused; Kai was looking back and forth between Hagi and Kata and trying to decide who he wanted to win.

Kai's jealousy of Hagi meant that he was hoping for Kata, but no way was he voicing that opinion out loud. Hagi threw a knife in a blur of movement, but Kata was behind him suddenly, one of her blades aimed towards his neck. Hagi barely brought another knife up in time, as Kata grinned and used the force of Hagi's retaliation to flip over his head, her other sword swinging around to his side as she did so. Hagi finally gave in properly; the bandages slipped off his monstrous hand and, forming his chiropteran hand into a blade, he swung it at Saya.

It was breathtaking, literally. They slashed, cut and parried at each other, but neither landed a blow for almost five minutes. Then Kata, who had been smiling throughout, became bored, and ducked under Hagi's arm and whirled out of reach once more, nicking his cheek slightly as she did so. There was a silence, as Hagi tried to regain his breath, blood trickling down his cheek even as the cut healed.

"First blood. I win." Kata said teasingly; but Hagi didn't react. Saya began to clap, and soon the Red Shield members who had gathered in awe, including Julia, Lewis and Joel, joined in, and the deck rang with applause. Both Hagi and Kata looked slightly shell shocked, and neither reacted until the applause finally died down, at which they shared a smile.

David, however, hadn't been clapping at all, and now he strode forwards angrily, his face furious. Stalking up to Kata, he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

"Admit it! You're not human are you? You were moving faster than Hagi was there, and he's a chevalier! Spit it out! What are you?" David growled. Murmuring uneasily, the other Red Shield members hurried back to their various jobs. Joel stepped forwards, about to stop David, when Kata began to laugh, and then she did the least expected thing. She opened her mouth, and dancing away from David, she began to sing. The sound that came out of her mouth was pure, but not at all like the haunting melody that Diva sung, and as the lyrics became clearer, even brought smiles and chuckles to everyone's faces:

_I'm malicious, mean and scary._

_My sneer could curdle dairy;_

_And violence wise, my hands are not the cleanest_

_But despite my evil look, and my temper and fighting_

_All I really want to do is sing_

To everyone's disbelief, a genuine, beaming smile lit up her face as Kata sang; Hagi shook his head slightly indulgently, as Saya grinned, ecstatic.

_Can't you see on the stage performing Mozart?_

_My voice echoing round the ceiling till it gleams_

_Yes, I'd rather be called deadly, for my killer show tune medley!_

_Thank you!_

Here, Kata gave a mock bow to the assembled Red Shield members, Saya and Hagi.

'_Cause way down deep inside I've got a dream!_

_I've got a dream! I've got a dream!_

_See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem!_

_Though I do like breaking femurs_

_You can count me with the dreamers_

_Like everybody else, I've got a dream!_

Suddenly looking incredibly mischievous, Kata sidled up to Kai and began to sing to him specifically; gesturing to various places and plastering a very convincing comically disgusted look on her face.

_You've got scars and lumps and bruises,_

_Plus something _there_ that oozes_

_And let's not even mention his complexion_

_But despite his extra toes and his goitre and his nose,_

_He really wants to make a love connection!_

_Can't you see him with a special little lady?_

_Rowin' in a row boat down the stream?_

_Though he's one disgusting blighter_

_He's a lover, not a fighter-_ Kata was suddenly behind Kai; his precious gun in her hand. Kai gave a shout, but Kata danced out of the way, still singing.

'_Cause way down deep inside he's got a dream!_

Kata threw Kai's gun back to him, giggling, before continuing with her song.

_He's got a dream! He's got a dream!_

_And he hopes one day romance will reign supreme_

_Though his face leaves people screaming, there's a child behind it dreaming!_

_Like everybody else he's got a dream!_

_Joel would like to quit and be a florist_

_Collins does interior design_

_Julia is into mime_

_Lewis's cupcakes are sublime_

_Riku knits_

_Hagi sews_

_Diva's chevaliers do little puppet shows_

_And David here collects ceramic unicorns!_

Before everyone's startled eyes, Kata deftly delved into David's shirt pocket to retrieve a tiny ceramic unicorn; laughing, she gave it back to him as he blushed.

_I've got a dream! I've got a dream!_

_I just want to see my family as one big team!_

_And with every passing hour, I'm so glad Diva left that tower_- here her voice dropped so low that no one could hear it but Hagi, who frowned and stiffened slightly.

_Like all you lovely folks I've got a dream!_

_We've got a dream! We've got a dream! _

_So our differences ain't really that extreme_

_We're one big team!_

_Call me brutal, sick, sadistic and grotesquely optimistic,_

'_Cause way down deep inside, I've got a dream!_

_I've got a dream… Yeah!_

Breathing hard, Kata beamed happily.

"There you go, David, that's what I am." Joel, Riku and Lewis were laughing, Saya was too, Kai and David looked grumpy, but Kai held a grudging respect, and even Hagi had a smile on his face. David harrumphed and stormed off, while Joel wiped tears of mirth from his eyes.

It really wasn't that funny, but the sheer ludicrous unexpectedness of Kata's singing made everyone laugh. Kata beamed again; it was the best kind of response. She then gazed up at the sky, a soft smile on her face, still humming to herself as a gentle sea breeze blew across the deck.

David was further incensed when he arrived at the meeting room later that day to find not only both Saya and Hagi sitting at the meeting table, but Kata too. David growled and strode straight up to Joel.

"Director, I strongly object to…that _girl_ being here." He said stiffly. Kata laughed, her supersonic hearing of course picking up these words.

"How funny, 'cause I strongly object to _you_ being here." Kata said lazily, her blue eye gleaming at him in the meagre light. David bristled, but Joel intervened before he could blow it.

"Stop it, both of you, sit down David, and we shall get started." Joel said complacently, but his voice held a ring of command that ordered obedience. So, disgruntled, David sat down while Kata smiled charmingly at him. Saya glanced nervously between the pair, while Joel squashed the urge to sigh, and then ignored both of them.

"Right. We have reasons to believe that more information about Delta67 can be found in Russia, so I suggest deporting Saya, David, Lewis, Kai, Riku, Kata and Hagi to Russia to investigate." Joel began firmly, but before he could really get started, Kata interrupted;

"Russia? It snows in Russia," Kata said frowning. "I hate snow." She muttered to herself. Everyone stared at her, while Kata thought in silence.

"Can we skip Russia? I can tell you about D67, and we can stay here, where it isn't Russia and it doesn't snow?" Kata suggested hopefully, but she was met with stony looks.

"I'm sorry, Kata, but we can't trust you enough as our only source of information." Joel said gently. Kata snorted.

"Of course. This is why I hate the Red Shield." She muttered, ignoring the disapproving looks she got from both David and Lewis. Joel cleared his throat and continued.

"Anyway, the plan is to send Saya, Hagi, David, Lewis, Kai, Riku and Kata to Russia to investigate."

"No. Sorry, but, if you don't mind, I'm gonna bail on this one." Kata said, standing up with a soft scrape of her chair and a yawn. Everyone stared at her for a second.

"Actually, we do mind." Joel said indignantly, a frown creasing his young face. Kata went very, very still. Joel, however, plunged on, despite an outright warning look from Hagi and an uneasy one from Saya. "We need you to go and back up our fighting force, so, if you don't mind, you'll be going." Joel said, and, satisfied, was about to continue, when Kata was suddenly perched lazily on the table in front of him, examining her nails, her blue eye gleaming slightly.

"Actually, I'm bailing. You cannot tell me what to do, can you now, Joel Goldschmidt?" Kata said pleasantly, her eye gleaming brighter. Joel swallowed slightly, trying not to show any fear.

"You're a member of the Red Shield, and I am director, so-"

"Ah, but I'm not a Red Shield member, am I? No. Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall ever swearing loyalty to your damn Red Shield. I didn't promise to do your dirty work, or collect Intel for you or fight for you." and Kata leant close, her eye definitely shining a very unnaturally bright shade of blue, her voice deadly and barbed. "I am not your dog, Goldschmidt. So," Kata sat up, her eye normal, and hopped off the desk, suddenly cheerful again. "I'm not going to Russia. I'm ditching, so have fun in the snow, 'kay?" Kata practically skipped around the desk, stopping to give Saya a quick kiss on the cheek before continuing to the door, which opened as it sensed her. "Bring me back an icicle, huh?" Kata said cheerfully, smiling back at them as she stepped out the door. Saya stood up suddenly, drawing all eyes.

"Wait! Where… Where are you going?" She asked forlornly. Hagi's expression grew slightly tender. Slightly. Kata's smile widened.

"To be Himi for a while." She laughed, and then she ran out of the meeting room, her laugh still echoing. David ran out after her, but she was gone.

"I can't see her, sir, but that doesn't mean she's not just hiding." David said, his face set. Joel was looking slightly shell shocked; he took a lot of risks, but none of them had ever backfired quite like Kata. Hagi smiled slightly.

"She is no longer on the ship." He said quietly. Everyone turned to stare at him.

"Well… Where the devil would she go?" David exclaimed angrily, no one doubted Hagi's word; if he said Kata was gone, Kata was gone.

"She can't be swimming, can she?" Lewis mumbled to himself. Hagi squashed a flicker of a smile.

"She probably is. I believe her coat is waterproof."

The meeting was disbanded, and the Red Shield headed to Russia, ignoring the problem Kata had become for the moment, intent on discovering not just more about D67, but for Saya it was a trip down memory lane.

Kata wasn't in the best mood as she draped her dripping coat over the back of a hotel chair to dry. Not quite so waterproof after all. Sighing, she ruffled her hair with a towel, as the steam from her recently vacated bathroom twisting into the room. The towel rumpling down onto her shoulders revealed her hair, still damp and sticking out even more than usual; both eyes were reflected in the blank TV screen as Kata sat down on the bed and began to put on her underwear.

One eye, a beautiful, cold, deadly blue, the other a sharp, raging red. The red eye was even more interesting for the long, bright red scar that ran down the side of it, narrowly missing her pupil. Finally, Kata had underwear on, and she then pulled the last thing that any of the Red Shield would ever have expected to see her wearing on; a dress. A pale lilac one that had a little bow on the neckline, short puffy sleeves and a crocheted bodice, with a flared skirt coming down to her cover her knees. Slipping on a pair of white sandals and slipping her collapsible swords into the only thing that would have reminded you of Kata; a brown leather thigh braces, designed to hold her sword handles under her skirt. Kata took a deep breath, and then let it out; brushing her fringe back over her red scarred eye.

"Transformation to Himitsu complete." She muttered, before with a smile she left the hotel room; firmly locking the door behind her. Greeting the porter in perfect French, Kata strolled along the streets of a charming French town, until she came to a huge park, which was so grand and covered in ordered flowers that one half expected Marie Antoinette to come waltzing down one of the paths. Kata's pace sped up slightly, but it was somehow more girlish; there was a light spring in her step as she continued down the paths, following a well known route and losing more and more people as she went, until she finally arrived at a massive gleaming greenhouse. Smiling, she skipped up the steps, and when she next raised her head, her eye met a pair of light blue, gently humorous eyes twinkling at her.

"Ah. Himitsu." Nathan Mahler said deliberately, smiling and opening the door for her. Kata eyed his outfit; a purple frilly shirt that showed his midriff, a pair of pink jeans and white boots that belonged on an extremely girly cowgirl, before striding past him without a word. She wound her way through the green house; half hearing Nathan announcing her arrival to the others. Reaching her destination, she sat down by an apparently sleeping figure lying on the steps. The person turned her head slowly, her waterfall of dark hair shifting with the movement.

"Himi…?" came her voice; innocent and confused like a child's. Kata smiled and stroked the girl's hair.

"Yes. Good morning, Diva." Diva blinked at Kata, her bright blue eyes still sleepy.

* * *

**Well. I finally managed to get it up. Sorry it took so long, I had writers block and then I went on holiday so I had no access to a computer :(**

**I also apologise for putting the song (I've got a Dream, Disney's Tangled) in, but when I saw Tangled I could really imagine Kata singing it, and I couldn't resist... -.-' but the fact she sings is a plot point, so it's not completely random...**

**please review, and I'll try to be quicker with the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 10 : Chevalier

**Chapter 10 Chevalier **

Himi skipped around a bush, humming to herself, coming into view of the three seated round the table by one of the many fountains in the huge greenhouse. Nathan looked up over his glass of wine, the red liquid reflecting a red circle of light onto his smiling mouth. James and Solomon followed his gaze, Solomon's soft face curving into a smile.

"Himi, it's so nice to see you again." Solomon smiled, getting up to greet Himi with a kiss on either cheek. Himi submitted to this greeting with a sly grin, before appearing suddenly beside the table. Solomon stood and glanced back, still smiling gently. James glanced up at Himi as she stood next to him, leaning forwards and tilting her head.

"You're not going to greet me, James?" She said, her voice playful, but somehow half threatening at the same time.

"Of course I was. You simply did not give me enough time." James said, getting up from his chair and kneeling before Himi, taking her hand and kissing it as she giggled.

"So slow, James." She smiled. Nathan grinned at her.

"Are you bored, Himi dear?" Himi pouted.

"Well, Diva is still sleepy, so I can't play with her. Where's Amshel? I want him to hurry and give her the blood of awakening so she can play with me again." She said petulantly. Nathan smiled, as Solomon seated himself once more.

"On that note, where is big brother Amshel? I received word that he would be late, but…" Solomon asked, as James drew up a chair for Himi to sit on. Nathan shrugged, taking an elegant sip of his wine.

"I expect he's on business somewhere. He'll turn up at soon I'm sure." Nathan said, uncaring. There was a small silence, while Himi swung her legs in a bored fashion, eyes closed.

"Russia. He's in Russia, I think." Himi said softly, eyes still shut. All three chevaliers jolted and stared at Himi as she opened her eyes slowly. There was another pause, before Nathan spoke, swirling his wine around his glass gently.

"I wonder what he's doing in Russia." Himi giggled.

"That's where the Red Shield is. I expect he's gone to take a look at Saya." Himi gave a tinkling laugh through her fingers. Solomon blinked, while James sat back in his chair; he wasn't interested in what Amshel and Saya, their arch-enemy, might be doing unless it involved Diva.

"Ah yes, I heard that Saya doesn't remember anything this time." Himi stretched and stood, her skirt swishing around her legs, and promptly fished Solomon's credit card out of his pocket. Smiling, she began to leave, as Solomon looked slightly exasperated, but amused, at having his credit card stolen.

"No, she doesn't. She didn't even know who Hagi was!" Himi danced along the path and then out of sight, her last words floating in the air. "I'm going to buy some things for Diva." Solomon and Nathan watched her go, James still bored and uninterested.

"That's quite incredible. She didn't even remember Hagi, her own chevalier?" Solomon commented to Nathan, pouring himself a glass of wine himself, and filling Nathan up while he was at it. Nathan chuckled.

"I'm sure that was a shock for poor Hagi." Nathan took a sip of his wine thoughtfully. "Mmm. Hagi."

-n/s-

_I get stared at whether I'm Kata or Himi, huh?_ Himi thought with a sigh, as she left the shop, carrying yet another carrier bag to add to a grand total of 13 designer shopping bags, containing various things from dresses and hair accessories to puzzles, books and toys. Trying to ignore the admiring stares drawn from all the males(and quite a few females) in the area, and the jealous stares from everybody else, Himi strolled along the street, grateful that at least the stares meant most people moved out of the way and gave her a clear path.

Himi loved and hated having two identities. Both sides of her had perks; as Kata, she could be with Saya, be sarcastic and make fun of people -especially the Red Shield members and Hagi- and best of all she could fight all she wanted. But as Kata she was mistrusted, feared, and even hated by the people who surrounded her. Himi was well aware that even Saya did not completely trust her. And the Red Shield would be positively delighted to see her dead, but Himi supposed that at least the feeling was mutual.

As Himi, she could be with Diva, and have fun just playing around and giggling and teasing people in quite a different way, and she was adored, even if the only reason the Chevaliers tolerated her was on Diva's orders. She could dress up and let her feminine side come out to play, and although she couldn't fight, she could eat. She didn't have to squash her natural instincts, and that was fantastic. But Himi lived in fear for her life. If Diva's chevaliers were to find out about her double life, no matter how much they proffered love to her and showered her with praises, Himi would be killed, but more importantly, Diva would be upset. Probably.

_I really don't know which is best. Well,_ Himi thought, her face fixed in a lazy smile as she continued down the streets of the town, unconsciously heading back towards the greenhouse (which she had since discovered to be a museum). _Neither of them is really me. I'm not Himi, but I'm not Kata either. I don't know who I am. I… I don't even know what 'I' really means. 'I' don't have a name, so how can 'I' have an identity?_ Himi's pace slowed with the sudden seriousness of these thoughts, though she kept walking. She was now in the park, which she had already taken to calling '_The Marie-Antoinette Playground_'. Her habit of naming things was one of the few things, other than her appearance, that stayed with her as she switched between identities._ Without a name, I am nothing._

Himi stopped completely, before mentally slapping herself and banishing those depressing-soul-searching words from her head and hurrying towards Diva.

When she arrived however, she was disappointed to find her friend still sleeping, though it looked like Himi had missed a brief fit of wakefulness; Diva had moved a bit and broken and torn toys, books with pages ripped out and leaves from the nearby bushes were scattered around the steps where the Blue Queen lay. Himi stood for a while, watching the even rise and fall of Diva's shoulder as she breathed, vaguely hearing Nathan comment on how late 'that Amshel' was. As she watched, a leaf, perfectly innocent, green, freshly torn from its branch and resting on a curve of Diva's pool of dark hair, suddenly crinkled and darkened to a dead brown. Himi smiled, and put her many shopping bags discreetly in a bush.

Solomon was startled suddenly, splashing his wine and only his chevalier fast reactions saving his expensive white suit from complete ruin, as Himi appeared and casually slipped Solomon's credit card back into his pocket. She had only been gone for maybe two hours, but her chair had been respectfully left in readiness, and Himi now re-seated herself, ignoring the slightly exasperated look from James as she interrupted their conversation.

"I don't suppose I get any food until Diva wakes up properly?" Himi suggested hopefully, and was met with indulgent smiles from Solomon and Nathan.

"I'm sure big brother Amshel will return soon." Solomon said complacently, ignoring the red splash at his feet and refilling his glass again. Himi pouted, and then suddenly smiled, gleeful.

"He's nearly here!" She half-sang, her smile widening and her pointed canines coming into view. All three chevaliers stared at these teeth, but before any questions were asked Amshel arrived.

Well, correction, a pretty Russian woman with blue eyes and a Red Shield crystal on her bracelet arrived and sat by Diva, greeting her and stroking her hair. Himi's eyes narrowed possessively at this, for of course not one person was fooled by this disguise; it was most certainly Amshel and as he stood and walked towards them he regained his true form; a big man, but not exactly muscular like David and Hagi, with black hair combed back and a moustache that was supposedly typically 'Français'. His suit was, in Himi's opinion, quite a revolting shade of prune, but Himi made no audible comment.

_Oh honestly. Chevaliers do not exactly move with the times, huh? Nathan is dressing like a transvestite, Solomon looks like some idiot pretending to be a prince or an angel or something, Amshel looks like someone out of a really old, really bad sitcom and don't even get me started on Karl. _Himi frowned, Kata's personality briefly shining from her eyes, but nobody caught it as Amshel reached the table.

"Himi. It is a pleasure to see you again." He said formally, mimicking James's actions and kissing her hand. Himi smiled, but her eyes were icy, and she none too discreetly wiped her hand on her skirt afterwards. Amshel, however, chose to ignore this and simply seated himself.

"I'm sure Diva will wake properly soon, so you shall not be bored much longer." Amshel addressed Himi, but somehow the words were meant for everyone.

_For what is more exciting for a dog than to have their master awake?_ Himi thought with a smirk. Polite conversation ensued, but all the while Himi was picking through Amshel's brain, discovering what had been happening in Kata's absence, and the revelations Amshel, in Liza's form, had made to Saya.

-n/s-

It hadn't been what you would call 'a good day's work' at the Red Shield. Their plan to let Saya remember her past on her own had backfired rather badly; with disastrous consequences that really drove home just how useless the Red Shield was without Saya and Hagi, who had, of course, followed his master faithfully. Himi was lying across the steps, the swathes of Diva's long hair entangled around them both. Diva was still sleeping; it seemed just a tad weird that after doing nothing but sleep for thirty years you would be tired, but there you go. Maybe it was to readjust to your centuries of memories.

Himi, however, having been awake for quite some time, was reflecting, staring up at the domed glass ceiling of the greenhouse, or museum, with vague interest. It was late afternoon, and the sunlight had turned golden, sparkling through the glass and glinting off the dust motes to give that rare impression that one was in the middle of fairies at work. Himi had no such delusions about fairies performing magic above her head but even she would have admitted that it was rather pretty; thus it wasn't with an expression of _complete_ boredom that she brooded over the information she had picked up from Amshel's brain earlier.

_So Saya… she didn't even realize that she was a chiropteran? That she wasn't human? ... Wow. That's… one damn perfect example of complete denial. Huh. And now Saya is on the way to the Zoo, where it all began, and Hagi is, of course, following. Why is Hagi letting her do that? Seriously? Why? Urgh._ Dissatisfied, and still struggling with Saya's incredible slowness, Himi shifted impatiently.

"Himi?"

"Oh, hi Diva. Sorry, did I wake you up?" Himi sat up, and Diva followed, her long hair catching on Himi's fingers and keeping the pair with their shoulders touching.

"Yes you did. You had some very angry thoughts there, Himi." Diva laughed softly, as Himi smiled in return.

"I'm hungry. Aren't you hungry? All you've had is Amshel's blood, and that's not incredibly exciting." Himi replied, still smiling, and disentangling herself from Diva's hair. Diva smiled back, a dangerous gleam appearing in both girls' eyes.

"Amshel." And now Diva's voice held a tone of command, and her faithful chevalier obeyed and appeared by the two.

_I wonder if Amshel would be slower if Diva didn't command him. Actually, he's a dog, so he probably wouldn't care and would just come anyway, huh?_ Himi pondered, as Diva haughtily requested some food. Blinking herself back to reality, Himi stood, the last locks of Diva's hair falling from her frame gracefully. Her shoes were kicked to one side, and the white stone of the floor was cool against her bare feet as Himi reached out a hand to Diva, who ignored it and got up. Himi shot her a questioning look, and Diva smiled.

"We can have a game later, can't we Himi? And then you must tell me what my dear sister Saya has been doing while I have been sleeping." Himi nodded her assent, and Diva's attention was soon distracted by the sight of a couple being led towards them by Amshel; probably randomly picked off the street, the pair couldn't have been more than twenty five, and were exclaiming excitedly to each other about the wondrous beauty of the museum. Diva's lips curved into a smile, her canines pointed and eyes gleaming. Before the couple even noticed Himi and Diva standing there, Diva was gone, having appeared again behind the woman.

"You smell nice. Himi, I'm having this one. After all, I haven't had any female blood for thirty years…" And with that, just as the poor woman, who was quite pretty in a mundane way (though whatever beauty she possessed paled considerably in comparison to Diva's alluring charm and eternal beauty and Himi's mysterious quirkiness; whether she was Kata or Himi, she had that kind of beauty that was subtle and dramatic all at once, and her face somehow never left you, whether you thought her stunning or not.) with curly brown hair and wide brown eyes, began to scream, Diva sank her fangs into the woman's neck, cutting short her scream. The woman choked, her mouth open in readiness for a sound that would never come out as Diva greedily drank her dry, the woman's blood trailing down Diva's mouth and staining her face and dress.

The woman's partner was one of those steadfast people who were hard to scare and slow to panic, but the sight of his girlfriend's blood being drained by an extremely beautiful young woman with glowing eyes made even him cry out in panic, clutching at her hand. Amshel would have intervened, but Himi was hungry.

"Hello handsome." Himi breathed down his neck, restraining him with one slender, but strong, arm around his neck. Using this leverage to bring the man down to her level, Himi smiled and bared her own fangs, as Amshel watched with frustrated curiosity, while Himi's eye began to shine an unnaturally bright shade of blue. Then Himi bit, and slowly but surely both the man and woman lost their grip on life and said goodbye, their blood draining from their veins.

"Aww, Diva, you made a mess of your dress again." Himi complained, using her hand to wipe her mouth.

"Hypocrite. Look at your dress!" Diva said defensively, while Amshel sighed quietly and frowned, gesturing to James to dispose of the two drained bodies, which he did, all without the notice of Himi or Diva.

Himi looked down at herself in surprise, noticing a small stain of red on her lavender bodice, before shrugging.

"At least it's an excuse to dress up. Look!" Himi exclaimed gleefully, dragging Diva by the hand over towards the bush where she had placed the many shopping bags. Diva looked on in surprise while Himi dragged out bag after bag, before frowning.

"When did you do this?"

"When you were waiting for Amshel's blood, sleepy head." Himi answered, before pulling out a new dress for Diva with a flourish; white and graceful with pale blue borders on the sleeves, hem and neckline.

"Here, put this on."

"Not until I see what you're wearing." Diva countered, even the casual conversation turning into a game. Himi rolled her eyes; another gesture that was carried between Himi and Kata.

"Fine. Here." Himi rummaged through several bags, before finding a dress identical to Diva's, but with a shorter skirt, and in different colours; where Diva's was white, Himi's was dark purple with white borders, and a much more flared skirt. Diva appraised it thoughtfully, before smiling and accepting her dress.

"Mine is prettier, right? Hey, do you think because sister Saya woke up earlier, I am prettier? I have had more beauty sleep!" Diva laughed, while discarding her bloodstained dress carelessly on the floor and pulling on her new one. Himi, having changed at a lightening pace, was already dressed and followed suit by also dumping her stained dress. Himi stepped forwards, knowing that Diva required no answer for those questions, and buttoned her dress. Diva smiled slyly again, and linked arms with a slightly startled Himi, before they both set off; strolling at a gentle pace around the greenhouse and leaving their mess behind for Diva's chevaliers to clear up.

"So, what has my dear sister been up to?" Diva asked, snuggling up to Himi who grinned.

"Oh, all sorts of things. She's been awake for almost two years now, and she's been having a _very _exciting time." Himi smiled; able to vent aloud the thoughts that Kata thought while in Saya's company. Diva giggled gleefully, Himi requiring no prompt to continue.

"When she woke up, Hagi wasn't there, that naughty chevalier."

"I always thought she had chosen him badly." Diva commented. "So she didn't get the blood of awakening?"

"No. She didn't remember a thing, not even her own name. She was raised like a human daughter of a man called George Miyagusuku, along with two boys; Kai and Riku. Riku's only fourteen, and very innocent, and very irritatingly faithful in finding good in almost everyone. Kai's older, and he's _ginger_." Himi and Diva shared a disgusted look, before Himi continued. "She's very loyal to all of them, it can be quite sickening."

"Tch. My sister is being loyal to humans _again_." Diva complained. Himi squeezed the arm that was linked through hers sympathetically.

"And she didn't want to fight at all when the Red Shield came for her, and then because of that she got her father killed."

"Only the old man?" Diva said. Himi nodded, understanding, if not empathizing, with Diva's disappointment.

"Oh, but you'll like this, Diva, guess how he died?" Himi said suddenly with a dry laugh. Diva blinked before shrugging.

"Delta67. It turned him into a chiropteran and then Saya had to kill him." Himi said, while Diva's eyes sparkled with glee. There was a small silence, while Diva digested this information.

"How… attached is sister Saya to these humans?" Diva asked tentavely. Himi glanced at her thoughtfully.

"Even more attached than she was to Joel. Only now, she's only just realized that she's not human, the stupid girl, so now she's on her way to the Zoo to try and recover some of her memories." Himi said quietly. Diva raised an eyebrow.

"The Zoo? Maybe I'll go and greet her… Anyway, I'll have to get rid of her new 'family'. I'm her only family." Diva said possessively, her eyes narrowing. A sad look of longing passed across Himi's face, but Diva didn't see it.

_Only family, huh? Not your _only_ family. _

-n/s-

Diva's eyes seemed to glow even brighter in the gloom of the ruins of her tower. Unlike Saya, Diva did not appear to have any qualms about returning to a place haunted by memories, no matter how painful, but Himi knew that Diva didn't feel completely comfortable in the tower where she had been kept like an animal for so many years. Not that that discomfort stopped her from acting completely normal. Normal for Diva, that is, as Himi stepped out of the gloom now her identity was safe; the person who might have recognised her for Kata no longer had their eyes open.

Himi appraised the unconscious nearly dead Riku lying in Diva's arms, blood trailing down his neck and into his shirt. Himi's shoulders had been hunched while, hidden, she listened to the sounds of Riku's life being taken from him by Diva, but still her face bore no expression. Diva, still drinking, did not notice Himi standing there, and with something like regret, Himi faded out of sight once more and left.

When she wasn't being Kata or Himi, but just an unknown person who was still taking form, a person who was as fragile as a newborn baby, and had just as much personality, she referred to herself as 'Ibukishi', the surname she used as both Himi and Kata. Ibukishi was half a person, she didn't know herself at all. She was the person without a true name that Ibukishi might have been, before it all started. 'Ibukishi' rarely surfaced; only when neither Kata nor Himi would help with her situation, when, for once, all she wanted to do was to be as true to herself as she knew how.

Ibukishi stood by a collapsed cliff; looking vaguely uninterested. She still wore the dress she had been wearing as Himi, but without Himi's girlish demeanour it looked out of place; like a dirty orphan dressing up in a rich girl's clothes. She was barefoot; for some reason as Ibukishi she never felt the need for footwear, and had always felt more comfortable when she could feel the earth beneath her feet. Ibukishi nudged the edge of the mud half heartedly, her expression bigger, before with a Kata like sigh, she began to dig.

Several muddy minutes later, Hagi had finally been dug up. So intent was he on rushing to Saya's aid that he only vaguely noticed that 'Kata' had helped him, and he didn't notice at all that 'Kata', wasn't really 'Kata' anymore. Ibukishi watched the faithful dog hurry to his master with a far away expression on her face, before an obviously placed footstep made her whirl around, ready to shift into either Himi or Kata depending on the person's identity. But the person who had stepped out of the bushes required neither; and with a mix of alarm, horror, hate, longing and love, all fighting for dominance, Ibukishi stayed as the half person she viewed as her 'true' self.

"Nathan." She said bitterly. Nathan met her gaze sombrely, his blue eyes filled with sadness.

* * *

**Hooray! I finished this much faster than the last one on sudden (thank you god) inspiration. I don't actually like this chapter much until the end, but oh well, it should get better.**

**Hope you like (if anyone's reading) and please review!**


	12. Chapter 11 : Zoos are for Monkeys

**Chapter 11 Zoos are for Monkeys… and Chiropterans**

"Nathan, what the hell are you doing here?" the words flew from her mouth as broken shards, and Nathan flinched visibly, but didn't leave.

"I came for you." He said quietly; no trace of the familiar teasing guise he usually wore, nor the deep growl of anger, in his voice, only quiet assurance. Ibukishi's fringe was suddenly swept off her face as both eyes narrowed at Nathan; one red, one blue. Nathan however, betrayed no emotion at this sight, as Ibukishi spat out her next words, both eyes raging.

"Well I don't need you, so _leave_."

"You may not need me now, but you will. And I will always-"

"Don't!" Ibukishi snapped, and surprisingly, Nathan didn't, but stopped and stood in silence. Another gust of wind blew through the clearing, stirring Ibukishi's fringe once again, as she stared angrily at the floor, ignoring Nathan. Minutes passed, and it was Nathan who broke the silence;

"You haven't had any since then. You'll need more. Even Diva needs it; Saya too, why must you deny yourself, and me?" Nathan spoke calmly, but the anguish he felt was evident in both his eyes and his voice.

"What does it have to do with you? It's my choice, and I don't..need… No." She stepped back glaring, as Nathan, sudden determination showing in his eyes and turning them hard, used his nails to slit the side of his throat. Ibukishi's eyes widened as both her eyes began to shine against her will; caught in bloodlust. Nathan advanced on her, as she backed up faster and faster. Ibukishi was reaching her limit and was on the point of turning and fleeing, when her back touched rock and earth.

With a panicked look, Ibukishi realised she was backed up against the cliff, with Nathan advancing on her, that mouth-watering red liquid flowing from his neck, and she had no escape, despite her struggling. She made a thin cry of distress, but it wasn't so much fear of Nathan as fear of what he represented, what that meant to her, the feelings it conveyed. She whimpered again while Nathan pressed closer. Ibukishi strained away, but she was half imbedded in the cliff face as it was; she could go no further.

Nathan firmly planted each hand on the cliff, one by Ibukishi's waist, one by her head. Nathan paused and surveyed her for a moment; even with panic fighting lustful hunger in her mismatched eyes, he still thought her one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen.

"This time," he murmured, their faces now bare centimetres apart, "This time I will not let you run away from what you need." Finally, Ibukishi met his gaze and their eyes locked. And Nathan saw her give in, saw her let go, heard the savage growl rip its way up her throat, and then felt her push against him; no longer resisting but attacking.

How she managed to find any purchase for strength half buried in a cliff would probably always be a mystery, most of all to Ibukishi herself, but all Nathan could think was:_ Finally. Thank you. Thank you._ Over and over again, even as Ibukishi somehow found that strength and threw both Nathan and herself flying several feet. They landed, Nathan slightly winded and lying flat on his back, Ibukishi on top of him. She bit hard and deep, but Nathan felt no pain, and his arms came up to lovingly hold her as she drank.

As she drinks, Diva wrecks havoc. Riku is cast aside. Saya remembers her life's goal. Kai, David and Joel meet their deadly foe for the first time. But Ibukishi doesn't see any of it, and she will only find out later, when it is far too late for Himi to reign Diva in.

-n/s-

Nathan sat, Ibukishi's head in his lap, with his usual smile that managed to be somehow sarcastic and intimately caring at the same time. Gave up trying to clean himself up; his shirt was ruined anyway, especially after using it to wipe the blood from Ibukishi's lips. Ibukishi herself had collapsed from drinking too much; had she been awake she most certainly would not have tolerated lying in Nathan's lap, especially with the Zoo so close to seeing yet another tragedy.

"Ah- Kishi. You are very silly. So very wonderfully silly, my very own" Nathan's voice dropped to a whisper. "My beloved Queen."

-n/s-

Ibukishi, still in her broken self, sat in her favourite vantage point; a rooftop. If you could call it a roof; she sat on an outcrop of what might have once been a wall, the aged yellow stone providing no answer as to what part of the building it had originally been, and she was watching as Diva prepared to slice Saya's throat. And she was doing nothing.

Nathan stood behind her, and Ibukishi wasn't sure whether she was ignoring him or not, but stand there he did, and although Ibukishi would have hated to admit it, it felt right to have him there; a steady presence she could rely on. Her chevalier. And at the same time, not. Ibukishi's eyes narrowed, her fringe still in its natural disarray and displaying both her eyes in clear view.

Those narrowed eyes watched as Diva taunted Saya, who sat listless, overcome with memories that clashed with her current personality and views and left a fresh trail of guilt in its wake. She watched as Diva pondered where to stab Saya; where to kill her, and she did nothing but hunch her shoulders and hug her knees.

"They disgust me." She said quietly, to no one in particular. Nathan looked at her and sighed quietly in agreement.

Neither reacted when Hagi arrived in a flash and rescued Saya, and neither reacted when Solomon retreated with Diva in his arms. Actually, Himi reacted with delight, when Diva explained to Solomon that she wanted a new dress, at the thought of more shopping, but Ibukishi didn't bat an eyelid. Both Nathan and Ibukishi reacted, however, when Lewis rushed onto the scene, sweating profusely and far too late, Nathan with a chuckle and Ibukishi with a cold smile. Then Saya remembered her family as a raucous scream suddenly rang out across the spacious grounds of the Zoo. Nathan looked startled in girlish way while Ibukishi jolted, before paling slightly with an expression of guilt and sadness as she made out the screamed word;

"RIKU!"

It was Kai, and his brother's heart was no longer beating.

-n/s-

Saya didn't cry, or scream, or wail. Kai was doing all of that for her, loud enough to contain her sorrow and her dead father's too. She stood to one side, subdued, faithfully loyal Hagi by her side, and simply watched. Kai shook Riku as he screamed, but Riku did not react. David knelt by the boy's side, Lewis standing frustrated nearby.

"Where are the reinforcements?" Lewis asked, worried.

"They won't make it. He's lost too much blood." David said severely; only those who knew him recognised the grief in his eyes.

"Damn it! Can't we do anything?" Kai demanded, his voice full of tears. Saya continued to look on solemnly, her eyes not quite focused. Kata stepped silently into the tower, having judged that now was a good a time as any to rejoin Saya for a while.

She was dressed once more in typical 'Kata' fashion; though she no longer sported her previous outfit of a grey skirt and blue t-shirt coupled with black biker boots, leggings and her beloved leather jacket, her clothing was similar enough (and the jacket was the same) that no one would have noticed any difference. Her unusual swords were strapped securely into her belt; Kata could never quite be 'Kata' without them.

Nobody noticed her as she approached the group gathered around Riku; and Kata decided she was going to keep it that way, for a while, and simply stood, her face serious, but not sad. For Kata wasn't watching Riku, or Kai, or even Hagi, and she certainly wasn't watching any of the Red Shield members. Her blue eye; now the only once visible once more, was fixed on Saya, and she noticed immediately, as did Hagi, when Saya started. But everyone's attention was claimed by her next words.

"If I give him my blood… I can save Riku." She said softly, as if the very words and not just the meaning behind them pained her. David sat up to stare at her with barely concealed shock, while Hagi looked at her gently; already forgiving and accepting of her choice.

"If that is what you truly wish…" He said, and Kata had to stifle an incredibly inappropriate laugh; she found the 'your wish is my command' of both Saya and Diva's chevaliers hilarious, but even Kata with her ability to be completely unaffected by the situation recognised that laughing just then would most likely be the worst possible move. The slight gasp she gave as she struggled not to laugh, however, attracted Hagi's attention who betrayed himself with a barely detectable flicker in his eye. Saya didn't notice, wrought with such a difficult choice, and neither did anyone other than Hagi as Kata casually stepped silently closer and leant against the wall.

Saya's eyes narrowed in anguish, but she stepped forwards and took David's place by her brother's side. Kai looked up at her, his face tearstained.

"Your blood? What do you mean?"

"If he drinks my blood, maybe I can save Riku…" Saya began to shake as hope leapt to life in Kai's eyes.

Kata gave a barely audible sigh.

"Is that true?" Kai cried. Saya's fists clenched.

"But… you see…but… Riku's time will stop as it is now…" Saya got out. Kata rolled her eyes, unable to stop herself. _Oh geez. Why does nobody say 'stop aging'? It's much simpler than all of this 'time stopping' business._ Kata then had to suppress the urge to whack Kai over the back of the head with something big, hard, and preferably very heavy as he gripped Saya's arm.

"That's fine." Kai said determined. _Whoa. Careful what you wish for there, ginger. _Saya choked and shut her eyes again, shaking her head.

"No… I can't do it after all." Kata rolled her eyes again, wondering absentmindedly if she was the only one finding this conversation incredibly slow moving.

"You don't know what it means!" Saya cried. _Well. I'm with you on that one, deary. _Kata then had to bite her tongue to suppress the urge to whack Kai over the back of the head with something big, hard, and preferably very heavy yet again.

"Maybe so, but there's no other way!"

"But…"

"Please! Riku's my one and only brother! If he dies, I'll be all alone! I don't want that to happen!" Kata counselled herself desperately; she didn't think she'd ever found the ginger brat so irritating before; which was probably due to her very stressful afternoon - _Don't kill him. Don't kill him. Don't kill him don't kill him don't kill him._"So please! Help him!"

Saya stared at Kai uselessly for a bit, eyes wavering, before speaking in such a self-pitying way that Kata now wanted to give Riku her own blood, knock Saya and Kai's heads together and be done with it;

"That's right… Riku's your brother… If he dies, you'll be all alone…" Kai released Saya's arm and sat back, about to bawl again, when Saya did what Kata had expected from the start and agreed.

"All right. I want to save Riku, too." Kata rolled her eyes yet again. _Of course you do dear, so can we get on with it?_ "This is the only way…"

Kata watched, bored, while Hagi supported Riku and Saya cut her hand with one of his daggers; drinking the blood from the wound, Saya leant over, gently cupping Riku's face in her hands and feeding him her blood in much the same way she had to Hagi.

_Yep. Mouth to mouth, always the most fool-proof way._ Kata thought wryly, stepping forwards again into the light. She passed unnoticed still, but it wouldn't be long.

"Kai. Hold his hand." Kata said, as with a start everyone whipped around to face her. Saya stared, questions in her eyes, but Saya didn't focus on whether Kata's absence had affected Riku's fate; what Kata said was true. As Kai's eyes darted between Riku, Saya and Kata, Saya nodded.

"Hold his hand." She said sadly, locking her tears away. Kata, to her relief, went unquestioned for the moment as everyone's attention focused back on Riku, as Kai reached out to hold his younger brother's hand.

Saya stood and stepped back knowing what was about to happen and not wanting to see it. Hagi however, didn't move, still supporting Riku, as the young boy's eyes opened very wide suddenly.

"Riku! Are you all right?" Kai cried, half a tearful smile on his face. But then the reaction that Saya was dreading and both Hagi and Kata were expecting came; Riku's back arched in agony and he began to scream and twitch; his body no longer under his control. Saya closed her eyes as Riku writhed and Hagi restrained him.

"What? What the hell! Riku, what's going on?" Kai yelled, while Hagi held the jerking boy down. Kata suddenly noticed Saya staring at her hand where she had cut herself to get the blood to save Riku, as Kai shouted to her.

"Saya! What's going on?" Saya looked pained, but she did not move.

"Don't let go."

-n/s-

Kata was pissed off again. _Actually, whenever I'm Kata I seem to spend a hell of a lot time being pissed off._ She reflected grumpily, but this realisation did nothing to improve her mood. Sitting out of the way on a railing, legs dangling over the sea, of the Red Shield HQ -_I still don't get why it's a cruise line_ _r_- Kata frowned.

_Damn it. I completely lost control there. Completely and utterly. _Distracted, Kata almost didn't notice her fingers moving to touch her lips, the feel of Nathan's neck beneath them still fresh in her mind. Her eyes narrowed, but now amongst the anger there was something that wasn't quite happiness, but closer to guilty satisfaction. Kata closed her eyes, her shoulders hunching as she remembered the sensation of being held gently. She'd never been held like that before. Kata opened her eyes miserably. She wasn't even sure why she was miserable, and she could find no answers as she felt herself slipping slowly into 'Ibukishi'.

She was jolted back into Kata, however, before any _seriously_ depressing thoughts could take hold, by a soft step behind her. Kata didn't need to turn to know who it was; that presence was as familiar to her as the back of her hand.

"Kata." Saya said, tortured pain and anger fighting for dominace in her voice. Now Kata turned, wary. "Where did you go?" Saya asked accusingly, and Kata sighed.

"Himitsu."

"A secret? Why is it a secret? You said you helped me with my fight! You said you were my friend! Friends don't desert each other!" Saya cried, her voice betraying just how attached she had become to Kata in the brief time they had spent together; how Saya held on to any connection to her past like a drowning man to wood.

"I am your friend. And who doesn't have a few secrets? If you can look me in the eye and truthfully tell me that you're not hiding a thing from _somebody_, then I'll tell you." Kata said, her voice hard and tired. Saya stared at her, breathing hard, but she couldn't hold Kata's one-eyed gaze on that point.

"Fine. Don't tell me." Kata sighed again while Saya stared angrily at the floor. "Then, why didn't you help? You were at the Zoo. Why didn't you save Riku?" Saya cried, and was just about to say more when with a blue blur, Kata was standing right in front of her, face set and glaring. Saya took a nervous step back as Kata began to speak, her voice flinty and eyes cold.

"Don't. Don't you _dare_ try and blame this on me. There is a whole big picture here," Kata hissed. Saya's eyes were wide with a hint of fear. "That you still do not see. That you have never seen. And when you don't even have all your memories, you are in no position to make assumptions." Saya stuttered wordlessly, but Kata was on a roll. There was only one person who could have stopped her now, and he was several thousand miles away buying a new shirt. "Don't assume that I would save Riku. Don't assume that I _could_ save Riku. Don't assume that you're the only one suffering right now." Kata stepped back, panting slightly, while Saya processed this. Kata saw the reluctant agreement in Saya's eyes and stopped herself from saying more.

"I'm sorry." Saya said, her voice soft and her words genuine. She leaned her forearms on the railing where Kata had been sitting a few minutes ago, her face sad; the little crease between her eyebrows had appeared several days ago when she first discovered she was a chiropteran, and it was still there. Kata didn't respond, but her expression softened. The two spent a couple of moments in comfortable silence, while Saya worked up the courage to ask her next question.

"Kata." Saya finally ventured, her voice nervous.

"Uh huh?"

"You know… a lot about chiropterans… and chevaliers, right? More than Hagi and I do?" Kata frowned to herself.

"Well… I wouldn't call myself an expert, and it's not exactly hard to know more than you guys, but yeah, I guess." Saya stared down at the foaming ocean, struggling with herself; she had been determined to be angry with Kata, but Kata was inexplicably hard to stay angry with, especially when you were actually in her company. Now, Saya needed Kata's help, so she gave in.

"I'm worried about Riku. What if he doesn't wake up? What if I've killed him? Hagi turned into a chevalier so much faster; what if I didn't give Riku enough blood?" Saya said, panic creeping into her voice as she spoke aloud the fears she could barely express to even Hagi. Kata was silent, thinking, before she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, joining Saya at the railing and, as ever, careful not to disturb the fringe that hid her scarred red eye.

"Well. I think you did give him enough; he probably wouldn't have reacted if he wasn't going to change." Saya winced at the memory of Riku's thrashing body. "And I have a theory about why Hagi's transformation was so much quicker." Saya looked at her, her eyes full of questions, but Kata wouldn't meet her gaze, instead draping herself over the railing, arms dangling. "The night you turned Hagi into a chevalier," Kata continued, ignoring Saya's flinch. "Diva sang, right? So that probably hastened Hagi's transformation."

"Diva's song can do that?" Saya asked, her voice suddenly focused, as it always became when discussing Diva. Kata gave a short, unexpected bark of laughter.

"You could fill a book with what that song can do." Saya stared down at the water again, her expression settling back into worry. Kata glanced up at her, before straightening with a sigh.

"If you're that worried, I can probably wake him up." Saya turned and faced Kata in shock, mouth open and eyes wide.

"What… you can do what?" Saya whispered hoarsely, as Kata grinned.

"Uh uh. I am not explaining that one right now. So do you want me to try or not? Even if it doesn't work, it won't do any harm." Saya stared at her, concern and caution fighting in her eyes. Worry for her the boy she still viewed as her little brother won, and she nodded, shutting her eyes. When she opened them once more, Kata was gone.

-n/s-

Kata wasn't sure what she wanted to do more, laugh hysterically or beat her head against the wall, as she stared incredulously at Riku through inch-thick protective glass. Riku was pale, comatose and linked up to so many machines and monitors that the room managed to look crowded, and made Kata wonder how much time she could waste (and how much she could piss off the Red Shield) destroying them.

Kata rolled her eyes. Upon seeing that the only entrance to Riku's quarantined hospital room was through and observation room where Julia sat, and deciding that she really couldn't be bothered to have al lengthy discussion with the Doc and also seeing an excellent opportunity to break something and vent, smashed the glass with a lightning fast kick. The window shattered around her, sparkling, as Kata strode in looking particularly fearsome, blue eye glowing.

Of course you'd have to be extremely absorbed or deaf, dumb and blind to not notice that; with a cry of alarm, Julia fumbled with the code to open the door, while Kata reached Riku's bedside. With a cursory glance, Kata disconnected the machines, and then gave the closest one a hard kick for good measure. Julia finally managed to get in, having already called for David, and ran towards Kata shouting.

"Kata! Stop! What are you doing?" Kata glanced back, and the incredible coldness in her eye made Julia stop in her tracks, stuttering, while sparkling glass dust continued to fall like fine snow. Kata leant over Riku, hair falling forwards, determined. David arrived with his army-face on, with Kai, Lewis, Hagi and Saya in tow, in a swirl of broken glass. Kata calmly ignored them; a bare flicker of a smile crossing her face, and placed a gentle hand on Riku's shoulder. The others watched, confused and, for the moment, still.

"Hey! What are you doing to my brother?" Kai yelled angrily, stepping forwards. Kata glanced up disdainfully.

"Saya asked me t." Kai blinked, and everyone, including Hagi, turned to stare at Saya incredulously, who stammered and looked at the floor, ashamed.

Kata ignored them and, closing her eyes, took a deep breath and centred herself. When she opened her eye, it seemed to be glowing even brighter; noticeably so, which did not escape David's notice, who went for his gun. But before anyone could react, Kata opened her mouth and began to sing.

_natsukashii michi hitori tadotteku _

_osanai ano hi te wo tsunaide _

_nani mo shiranai mujaki na egao wa _

_kokoro no sumi wo akaruku suru _

_awai enogu omoi de iro no _

_Uh toki wo kasane egaiteru _

_akai chiisana kutsu ooki na senaka oikaketeita _

_akane iro no sora ga futari no kage tsutsundeiku _

_ame no doori ni nureteru TANPOPO _

_shizuku ni awase utatteiru _

_nakitaku naru yoru no fukasa mo _

_Uh kimi wa shitteirunda ne _

_yume wo kanaeru nara naicha ikenai sou omotteita _

_kakae kirenu omoi sotto kimi ni uchiaketa hi _

_kimi to isshoni iru to fushigi na kurai _

_"Tokubetsu" ja nai watashi de irareta _

_shinjiru koto wo oshiete kureta hito _

_kondo watashi ga kimi wo mamoru _

_samishiku natta nara itsudemo koko e katte oide_

_kata wo narabe aruku futari no kage sora e todoke_

Everyone stood and listened in awed silence; it was very different from the joking song full of laughter that Kata had treated them to before; this song was gentle, probing. Kata's eyes did not leave Riku's face, and as the last of the dust settled, Riku twitched.

And then his eyes opened.

* * *

**Phew. This is quite long... sorry! Quite a lot happened too, and the next chapter's looking busy too but hopefully I can calm it down a bit after that... -.-'**

**hope you like and no one died from suspense! :)**

**Please review!**


	13. Chapter 12 : A Knight or a Dog?

**Chapter 12 - A Knight or a Dog?**

Kata was sitting out of the way, again, but this time rather than perching gracefully on a railing or the roof of the building or leaning casually against a wall, she was sitting on the floor, knees up and head on said knees. Incidentally, she was sitting on the floor, knees up and head on said knees, in a cage.

When Riku woke up there was instant pandemonium; an ordered pandemonium that Kata had only ever seen the Red Shield pull off quite so spectacularly. Shouted orders and questions jumped around the room as people flurried to and fro, swirling around the calm of the storm; Saya and Hagi. Saya watched Riku a while, grief stricken, before turning and walking away, Hagi faithfully following. Kata was considering following when David shoved her out of the way to get to Riku and assist in moving him. Needless to say, David now had a semi-permanent boot mark on his face that showed how well _that_ had gone down.

So now she was in a cage, bored, but not so bored that she was contemplating breaking out anytime soon, and in actuality rather enjoying her captivity and her 'easy' capture as much as David seemed to be. Of course, it hadn't exactly been an 'easy' capture; it was more that as Lewis body tackled her to prevent her from doing even more bodily harm to David (and she had definitely been planning on it), Kata suddenly wondered whether the Red Shield had changed their tactics for dealing with dangerous creatures that they wanted to keep alive.

The answer was no, just like the previous time Kata was shot with tranquiliser darts that still didn't work and was then dragged into a 'fortified cell' in the hull of the ship. If you could even really say that a cruise liner had a hull, a fact that Kata was still half debating, just for the hell of it.

A loud and not-so-subtle clank as the heavy, barricaded door was raised instantly had Kata on her feet; it was David. And a few other Red Shield operatives in combat gear plus Joel, Saya and Hagi.

"I feel special. So many visitors! Did you bring flowers?" Kata asked, a sardonic grin on her face. David glared at her, while Kata smirked and tried not to laugh. Abruptly though, her face turned serious.

"Actually, does anyone have any pocky? 'Cause I haven't had one in like, _ever_ and I am going to start having serious withdrawal symptoms soon." Kata said beseechingly; but she was met only with cold, stony stares. Kata fixed her eyes on Hagi pleadingly; he was the only one who wasn't looking angry. Not that that meant he wasn't angry, but there you go. Hagi stared at her for a while, before with a barely audible sigh, he shook his head. Kata sighed heavily and looked dejected, while an uncomfortable silence followed.

"You know why you're here, Kata." Joel said nervously; his last encounter/argument with Kata hadn't exactly gone well. Kata looked up, a teasing glint already visible in her eye.

"Of course dear Joel, the exact same reason I last came in here. Say, I like the redecorating you've done."Joel gulped and everyone stared at her. This silence ensued for several minutes, before Julia came around the corner, clipboard in hand, from some far part of the 'laboratory'.

"She's lying. If she had been here before, there would be a record of it in Joel's Diary." Saya looked up, interested at the mention of her guardian from so long ago. Kata laughed softly under her breath, but provided no explanation as to why she found the mention of Joel's Diary so funny. Joel - the current one who was still alive - cleared his throat and continued.

"We have no wish to harm you Kata, however, we shall not hesitate to take precautionary steps if you are a danger to our mission. At this present moment, you are a liability." Joel said impressively, but Kata was not fazed.

"So…you don't want to kill me because I can fight well?" Kata summed up teasingly. Her voice was light, but coldness simmered beneath the surface.

"…As I said, if you prove to continue to be a liability, we shall take steps."

"You'll have Saya kill me." Kata surmised once more, now putting on the tone of an extremely patronizing person doing a voice-over for an interview in a foreign language. Joel sighed.

"Yes, Kata, you shall be… removed." Kata snorted. "But we would like to give you one chance,"

"Because I can kill chiropterans." Kata said, bored. Joel frowned, and leant forwards, one hand gripping one of the bars of Kata's cell.

"If you swear loyalty to the Red Shield and obey orders, then we are prepared to give you another chance." Joel said gravely. Kata blinked at him, before bursting out laughing. Joel stepped away, still frowning, while David took his place.

"Do you swear loyalty to the Red Shield?" David snapped.

"I swear loyalty to Saya." David frowned, but then took the typical route out; continue to reel off questions in the hope that the person will eventually get bored and give the desired answer.

"Do you swear to help us with this war?"

"I swear to assist Saya in whatever way I see fit."

"Do you swear to obey orders?"

"I swear to obey_ my_ orders."

"Do you swear to bring down any chiropterans you come into contact with, regardless of any personal attachment?"

"I swear to kill bastards, and only bastards." Kata chanted cheerily, enjoying herself hugely. She was still chuckling when the next question was asked;

"Do you swear to make your primary goal the destruction of Diva?" Abruptly, Kata's laughter stopped, and a heavy silence weighted the air. The silence stretched on as Kata stared inscrutably back at David, and refused to give any answer. David wasn't sure how to proceed; he had expected sarcastic comments and teasing, but not stony silence. David cleared his throat; he might not have expected it, but it was certainly progress of a kind.

"Do you swear to make your primary goal the destruction of Diva?" He asked again. Kata still did not reply. Joel, uncomfortable, stepped forwards.

"Kata, please. We want you to work with us." Kata turned to look at him, calculating.

"No. You want me to work _for_ you." Kata said quietly; assured. Joel blinked.

"Alright then. But the other option is being kept in here until we decide to dispose of you." Joel spoke severely, but a smile was once again gracing Kata's lips.

"You speak as though I cannot escape. You also speak as though you have the means to kill me." There was a small silence as everyone digested that.

"Saya is our means of killing you!" David said severly, while Saya flinched; she did not want to kill Kata, whom she had spent time getting to know. Kata's smile widened, further incensing David. "And you cannot escape!"

At that, a bubble of laughter escaped her, and Kata reached out and took hold of one of the bars. With an ever widening smile, she bent it as easily as if it were made of jelly. The bar buckled, and then with a quick survey of the joints and an expert twist of her hand, Kata pulled the entire front of her cell off inwards, and dumped it on the floor.

"Oh deary deary me. These cells are designed to hold mindless beasts, correct? It's such a shame that you didn't prepare for the eventuality of having someone clever in here. See you later, I'm off to find some more pocky!" Kata said cheerily, and with a wave and a blue blur, she disappeared. The Red Shield members in combat gear opened fire far too late; their bullets thudding into the cell wall where Kata no longer stood. David punched the wall as a relative resigned and disappointed calm descended, and Joel ordered a methodical search of the ship. The Red Shield members in combat gear rushed off, leaving David, Joel, Saya, Hagi and Julia behind in silence.

"Julia, are you sure that Kata has never been here?" Joel asked politely; the respect he held for the young doctor evident. Julia nodded, business like.

"I'm sure, but I'll check all of our records once more." Julia informed Joel seriously, and made to retreat back into her laboratory.

"She has eliminated herself from all records, including Joel's Diary." Hagi said quietly, a barely recognisable bemused expression on his face. Saya still didn't remember enough to realise that Hagi was confused because he had just received a mind message, from Kata, and none of the others knew Hagi well enough to be able to tell. Julia stopped in her tracks as all eyes focused on Hagi's face.

"That's not possible!" Julia exclaimed in answer to the questioning glances. Hagi gave a breathy chuckle that everyone immediately dismissed as being their imagination, it was so unexpected, and spoke again.

"Kata would like to inform you that one of the many reasons she… _dislikes_ the Red Shield is because they have such large egos and cannot deal with being outsmarted. In her own words." Hagi said, defending himself without emotion as several glares ensued, except from Julia, who looked fascinated.

"You're… _talking_ to her?" she asked. Hagi looked at her and contemplated not answering, but then decided that it couldn't do any harm.

"No. She was talking to me, and she has just left the ship once more." Hagi showed so little emotion that sarcasm was not detectable; but Saya noticed and smiled, holding back a laugh. Hagi saw that and instantly felt a rush of happiness.

-n/s-

As soon as Saya and Hagi were free of the Red Shield and left to their own devices, Hagi did a quick scout of the area, and then grabbed a startled Saya's hand and began to lead her gently but firmly through the ship. Saya made a funny gasping noise, but upon finding the feel of Hagi's hand encircling hers rather enjoyable, asked no questions and followed compliantly, trusting.

Hagi knew exactly where he was going despite having only been on the humongous boat only twice; Kata's presence at the back of the ship, where no one had thought to look yet, was like a huge, flaring beacon to him as he skilfully navigated the ship. Kata's sudden intrusion in his mind to request he pass on her messages to the Red Shield had been uncomfortable, and Hagi had sensed several things that had freaked him out (which took some doing), but he couldn't judge based on glimpses and flashes of what Kata had been doing recently that he had only half sensed, so he decided to let it be. Kata soon broke their temporary mind link with the final request that Hagi bring Saya to her, which Hagi was now obeying.

Kata herself was waiting behind a crate to make sure nobody found her; it was unlikely, but still, better safe than sorry. When she finally saw Saya, being led by Hagi, she felt a funny twist in her gut. Shaking her head and unable to work out what the hell _that_ meant, Kata stepped forwards. Saya came to a halt, eyes wide.

"What! What are you doing here? But… Hagi said you'd left…" Saya shot an accusing glance at Hagi, but he had stepped back out of the way to give the two girls space to talk.

"I asked him to lie. Gives me a little extra time, 'cause if they think I'm gone then they'll only search to double check, so they'll do it slowly." Kata explained. Saya blinked a few times, suspicious.

"Why don't you just go straight away? That would ensure that they don't find you." Saya said diplomatically. Kata laughed.

"Because I wanted to say goodbye to you!" Kata remained smiling, but there was a hint of shame when she next spoke. "Friends don't abandon friends." Saya's eyes widened, before she smiled a little.

"I guess not.… Where will you go?" Kata shrugged.

"I'll stick around. You're going to Paris next, right?" At a nod of confirmation from Saya, Kata continued; "Then I'll probably stay there. See if you need me. Be Himi for a bit."

"Will you ever tell me what that means?" Saya asked suddenly. Kata looked at her, surprised. Then, a soft, but terribly sad, smile settled on her lips.

"Yeah. Maybe someday. Oh, by the way, Diva is in France too. Near Paris, I think." Kata said casually, turning to go. Saya stepped forwards, her hand reaching out.

"Wait! Diva? Diva's there? How do you know?" Kata looked back.

"Uh…I can feel her. You can't?" Kata said, bemused, and then frowning.

"No." Saya said dejectedly, shaking her head. Kata stared for a while, turning an idea over in her mind.

"Hey. Ask to see Joel's Diary, yeah? It'll help with the… gaps. I don't think they'll refuse, not after your little rendezvous at the Zoo without them." Kata said dryly; they both knew how well _that_ had gone.

"Oh, but don't tell them I suggested it; I don't think they'll be quite so willing then!"

"Why do you and the Red Shield hate each other so much?" Saya queried. Kata puzzled for a minute, scratching her head. With anyone else, it would have looked phony and maybe comedic, but Kata pulled it off as a genuinely confused action.

"Well… I just don't like the way they do things, and they don't like the way I work, I guess. I suppose neither of us have ever put in much effort though, huh?" Kata finally answered with a smile.

"And take care of Riku, 'kay?" Saya nodded sombrely. There was another pregnant pause, before Kata suddenly stretched.

"Well. I'm off to find a fancy hotel in le Paris! And hopefully some pocky too!"

-n/s-

'Kata' quickly found an extremely grand and expensive hotel to stay in so she could further drain Solomon's bank account, and quickly relaxed into Ibukishi. Coming out of the steaming bathroom with a towel round her and tousled hair dripping, Ibukishi reflected absentmindedly, while wandering around the spacious hotel room.

_It's becoming easier and easier to be Ibukishi now, huh? I used to constantly be either 'Kata' or 'Himi'. Hmmm. Well, I should probably go see Diva soon; we haven't been shopping together in ages. Plus I haven't used Amshel's debit card in a while either. _A mischievous grin flitted across Ibukishi's face as she let her towel drop; leaving her standing naked in front of her window.

Ibukishi, nor Kata nor Himi for that matter, were exactly prone to wandering around stark naked in hotel rooms in front of windows, but when you were on the top floor and in Paris, Ibukishi supposed that if you were going to wonder around naked then these were the perfect circumstances, and both 'Himi' and 'Kata' agreed with her. Ibukishi was contemplating what she should wear while she was 'Ibukishi' (she'd never spent long enough as her real self to know) when something rather unexpected happened.

Suddenly, Ibukishi felt strong arms gently encircle her shoulders and rest on her collar bone. With a shriek, Ibukishi reacted instinctively, with vaguely Kata-like reactions. Nathan found himself being thrown across the room and slammed into the wall, resulting in spidery cracks all around and even splintering onto the ceiling. Nathan looked up, dizzy, with a crooked smile.

"Aww~ That's so cruel!" Nathan moaned; sounding not exactly like a woman, but his voice definitely closer to a female's flirty tones than a man's. Ibukishi shrieked again and covered herself futilely with her arms.

"Don't look! Don't you dare even _move_!" She yelled, scuttling towards the closet to find something, _anything_ to wear. Ibukishi would only realise later that this mortified reaction was quite a unique trait, as such; as Himi she would have acted like a young child when found naked; protested a bit before childishly insisting that whoever found her turn around or get her some clothes. As Kata, she suspected that she probably could have kept her cool, at least vaguely, and been able to make a sarcastic comment even while stark naked. Though maybe the unique reaction was really only because it was Nathan.

"What the crap are you doing here?" She demanded, still angry. Ibukishi was now dressed in the only clean thing she could find; a man's shirt that was several sizes too big for even Nathan, but perhaps would have fit Hagi or David. With said shirt buttoned up wrongly and hanging down to almost reach her knees, hair in wet disarray and both mismatched eyes completely visible, including the angry red scar on the red one, Nathan was most definitely enjoying the sight. Not that he said anything as he stood with a rueful smile; head fast healing, but still throbbing.

"Ah, look! You've stained the wall, Kishi."

"Don't call me 'Kishi', pervert!" Ibukishi protested; ignoring the red bloodstain on the wall indicated by Nathan.

"Pervert? So cruel, so cruel. Remember, I've seen you like that before~" Nathan half-sang, while Ibukishi glared at him.

"That…Those were excruciating circumstances and you know it, paedophile!"

"Paedophile! Our ages aren't _that_ different…" Nathan exclaimed, his voice trailing off into a petulant moan. Ibukishi threw a paperweight, that had been lying innocently on the coffee table near her left leg, at him. Nathan ducked, and pouted.

"So. What are you doing here?" Ibukishi demanded again, voice tight. Nathan straightened and put one hand on his hip, girlishly twirling his hair with the other.

"Oh, I came to see my darling Qu-"

"Shut it!" Ibukishi snapped. Nathan stopped mid sentence and simply smiled again.

"Will you be nice to me if I give you these?" He queried, gleeful, holding up a box of pocky. Ibukishi's eyes went very round. She blurred over to stand right in front of Nathan, eyes fixed on the pocky and reaching for them. Nathan held them up, out of her reach, with a smirk.

"Ah ah ah. Only if you promise to be nice to me~" He laughed. Ibukishi's eyes flashed.

"Give… them to me!" Ibukishi stood on tiptoe and strained to reach them; but alas, Nathan was taller than her and she couldn't reach. What ensued might be described as a dance; Nathan stepping backwards, smiling, while Ibukishi lunged and stretched and tried to reach the pocky she craved so much, but in reality only Nathan really had the grace that usually accompanies the word 'dance' as he side stepped and weaved away from Ibukishi.

"Give them…to me… now!" Ibukishi's eyes sparked as she jumped. A few minutes later, eyes still glowing, Ibukishi proudly sat, cross legged, on Nathan's midriff, eating pocky. While Nathan himself decided that he would wait before attempting to stand. Having eaten about half the packet at a lightning fast pace, Ibukishi gave a sigh of contentment and settled with one pocky jauntily placed in her mouth like a cigarette once more. Nathan sighed, somehow teasingly exasperated. Ibukishi eyed him suspiciously and clutched the box of pocky to her chest protectively.

"You really love those." Ibukishi didn't answer. "Can I get up?" Ibukishi smiled at that, smug.

"No. As your punishment you shall be my couch for a bit." Nathan considered arguing back, but decided he had been abused enough already and instead propped himself up on his elbows. "Well. Anyway, our darling Diva is missing you; you should go see her, no?"

"I'm going to. I was about to go and find a new dress to be Himi before you came sneaking in." Ibukishi said pointedly. Had Nathan been able to he probably would have shrugged, but as it was he was rather stuck, and so instead smiled crookedly.

"And how is dearest Saya?"

"She's fine. She still doesn't remember much- why am I even talking to you?" Ibukishi exclaimed, realising suddenly that she was on the verge having, heaven forbid, a vaguely regular conversation. With _Nathan_, of all people. Nathan smiled even more.

"Well~, I am your chevalier. Isn't it normal to talk like this?" he asked teasingly, sounding like a child again. Ibukishi glared at him.

"You are not my chevalier. You are a perverted, sneaky, old_ dog_!"

* * *

**Hooray! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, but for some reason it seemed to take ages... I hope Nathan is a little more in character in this chapter; I tried but I think he might now be a little too over the top... oh well!**

**hope people enjoyed and please review!**

4


	14. Chapter 13 : Shopping, Shields and a Shu

**Chapter 13 - Shopping, Shields and a Shuangren**

"Himi, Himi! Look!" Himi poked her head into the changing cubicle, smiling. Diva stood there beaming proudly. Himi grinned.

"It looks beautiful Diva. You'll blow them away. Come on, get out here and show me properly!" Diva smiled enigmatically and stepped out, giving a twirl for Himi's benefit. The dress was very beautiful; in a pale cream with blue-ish white ruffled edging. The shape of it was also nice; the dress itself had long sleeves and the flared skirt reached the floor; tiered once around shin height, and was completed with sleeveless jacket with a high collar. To complete the overall image, Himi fastened a blue rose under Diva's chin.

"There. Now all we need is to get your hair done properly." Diva pouted.

"My hair is lovely as it is, isn't it?" She asked crossly, but Himi knew her well enough to know that Diva did not seriously mind.

"Of course it is. Your hair is the loveliest, but just think how much more beautiful we can make it if we do it up to match your dress, hmmm?" Himi said teasingly, parading Diva around. Diva smiled beautifully, satisfied.

"Now your turn! I want to pick this time, though!" Diva exclaimed playfully, dragging Himi out of the changing area in eagerness. Solomon, who had accompanied them, gave a charming smile of appreciation as the two girls came out of the changing room.

"My, Diva, you've outdone yourself. You look beautiful." Solomon said, smiling softly. Diva's smile beautified, and she gave a tinkling giggle.

"Silly Solomon. I'm not done yet, and neither is Himi!" Still laughing, Diva dragged Himi further among the racks of expensive dresses, ignoring the half envying half irritated glances from the other customers.

A few hectic minutes ensued, during which Diva, soon joined by Himi, rampaged through the entire shop to find a dress for Himi, but eventually the pair settled down, much to the poor shop assistant's relief. Said shop assistant was a grouchy woman in her thirties; dumpy with dark, frizzled hair, her skin, teeth and voice worn away from years of relentless smoking. Despite being grouchy however, when Solomon charmingly asked her to excuse the girls with a blinding smile, there wasn't much she could do but simper; though that didn't stop the embarrassment from setting in afterwards.

Himi stood, looking enchanting in pure white satin. Himi's dress complimented Diva's without being the same or completely matching; hers also had white ruffled edges, a jacket and flared skirt, though the skirt only reached her knees, rather than the floor. However, the jacket had sleeves and no collar. The dress underneath did not reach her chin like Diva's; and Himi's dress also had a white sash. With a giggle, Diva plucked the blue rose from Solomon's jacket and, using one of the many safety pins that Himi kept on her person, attached it to the sash.

"There. Perfect!" Diva and Himi smiled at each other; both revelling in the beauty of the clothes and the excitement of shopping in general. Diva enjoyed the pleasure of new things and beauty, whereas Himi took it to a whole new level of fashion-obsession. Diva and Himi examined the other for a while, before Diva suddenly bounded forwards and placed her hands on Himi's shoulders.

"You need to have your hair done too!" Indeed, as Diva's long hair tangling over her shoulders and getting caught on the collar of her dress had rather ruined the formal attire, Himi's hair, which was even scruffier than usual due to her stressful time with Nathan in the hotel room, plus the obvious arrangement of her fringe which marred the haircut anyway, contrasted with Himi's dress. Himi stiffened defensively at the mention of her hair.

"Oh, no, I don't need anything…um." Himi trailed off; as Himi there was no defence for that kind of thing, and Diva frowned.

"Well, at least put your fringe back naturally; you never used to wear it over your eye and it looks much nicer like that…!" Diva reached for Himi's fringe, ready to brush it out of her eye, but Himi instinctively reached up and grabbed her arm. Diva looked shocked as Himi tried desperately to avoid having her scar seen while not making Diva angry in the process.

"Please, Diva, let's focus on your hair. Mine is boring compared with yours." Diva looked mollified, but she was intent on fixing Himi's fringe now; Himi could do nothing more. There was a brief struggle, but Diva won and Himi's fringe slipped back into its natural position; part of it to the side, and part of it in the centre brushing her nose. As Diva had said, Himi looked much nicer without her hair deliberately placed over her eye, but now the livid red scar appeared before Diva's startled eyes for the first time.

Diva's crystalline eyes traced the angry ruby line that ran along the right side of Himi's face. Slowly, she reached out and touched it, while Himi stared back, desperation still in her eyes and anguish on her face; Diva hated imperfection, and what was more imperfect than a scar. Diva recoiled from the unnaturally smooth surface of the scar, frowning, while Himi's heart sank. _Please don't hate me Diva, please, I don't know what I would do, please, please don't hate me Diva._ Himi's thoughts whirled around her brain endlessly like little bees, while Diva regarded Himi guardedly.

"How?" Diva's voice was probing, but calm and cold. Himi's heart sank further and she hung her head.

"It was cut."

"Cut. We don't scar, Himi." Diva reminded her, her eyes freezing.

"It… it was Saya!" Himi suddenly burst out, her loyalty to Saya overruled by her love for Diva. Diva's eyes widened.

"Saya?" Now that Himi had let out the first sentence, the rest of the story came out in a hot rush of tangled words.

"During the Vietnam war, when she woke up and she was crazy, because the Red Shield forced her to wake up too early, I was awake then too. You didn't wake up very much so you probably don't remember, but I was awake. Saya found me and she… slashed at me and caught my eye. Her blade had her blood on it and then the cut scarred." Himi's chest rose and fell heavily with worry as Diva regarded her.

"Sister Saya left you alive while she was on that rampage?" Diva said doubtfully. Himi blinked.

"She was distracted by your singing before she could finish me off." Himi said quietly, desperation still lingering on her voice. Diva regarded her once more.

"But Saya's blood entered your system?" Himi nodded. "But you didn't crystallize?" Himi gave a small gasp as she realized her error; Diva's childlike attitude often gave you the impression that she was, well, not _stupid_ exactly, but certainly not very clever, while Diva was actually very perceptive and picked things up fast.

"So Saya's blood gives you scars?" Diva said, thinking aloud. She considered Himi a while longer.

"Imperfect." Diva said quietly. Himi opened her mouth to plead, but before she could, Diva did something rather unexpected. Using her nails, she slashed open her thumb abruptly with a small spurt of blood. Before it could heal, or Himi could react, Diva smooshed her thumb onto the offending scar; using her nails to reopen it and rub the blood flowing from her thumb into it. Himi gave a small cry that brought Solomon hurrying; as Diva ground her bloody thumb into Himi's scar. Himi herself suddenly crumpled onto the floor, clutching her red eye as it bled through her fingers. Solomon arrived, confused but not alarmed, as Diva stood over Himi, sucking her wounded thumb.

"Diva, what happened?" Diva looked up, thumb still in mouth. She didn't answer however, as at that moment Himi shakily got to her feet, wiping the blood, both Diva's and her own from the freshly opened scar, from her face. Solomon looked shocked, while Diva looked smug as she bounded forwards to give Himi a hug. Himi looked down at Diva's smiling, self-satisfied face in confusion, before a very familiar, and yet odd at the same time, sensation prickled over her right eye.

The sensation was normal, especially for non-human persons, it was the sensation of skin knitting together very fast; it tingled slightly, but wasn't unpleasant. Himi was just as used to this feeling as everyone else; that wasn't what caused her shock. What did shock her was the face that she could feel this where her scar was. Which meant her scar was healing, after thirty-two years. Himi's hands, which had been resting on Diva's shoulders, flew up to touch her face, which verified the feeling; the scar was healing. Himi met Diva's gaze with both eyes.

"What… how did you…?" Himi trailed off, but her question was obvious and Diva giggled.

"Well, my blood has always done the opposite to Saya's, so if Saya's blood makes a scar, then mine can take it away!" Diva explained, gleeful, with childlike logic. Mind you, it was childlike logic that _worked_. Himi beamed and hugged Diva back.

"Thank you!" Himi said. Of course, 'Ibukishi' and 'Kata' were also pleased that she no longer had to hide her eye, Himi's love of fashion, beauty and appearance meant that she was ecstatically overjoyed.

"Thank you so much!"

-n/s-

"Boo." Kata said quietly, resting her chin on Saya's shoulder. Saya jumped, and only just managed to stop herself from yelling her surprise out loud. Turning, and dislodging Kata from Saya's shoulder, Saya gasped wordlessly, heart racing.

"Dammit Kata, you scared me!" Saya hissed. The reason they were being quiet was because they were in a library; filled with dust and weighted with a calm silence that made you feel sinful if you broke it. Kata straightened; Saya was sitting down at a computer by a window. Saya glanced at Kata; noticing that for the first time Saya could remember Kata wasn't wearing her leather jacket and was instead sporting a long loose dark grey t-shirt over her black trousers and biker boots. When Saya took in Kata's face, her eyes widened.

"Kata… your hair…your eyes…" Kata beamed.

"Yep. My eye's all better!" She said gleefully. A frown crossed Saya's face, but she didn't ask any questions. _Huh. It seems that with Saya she likes to operate on a need to know basis or something…_ Saya hastily turned to her computer screen, as if she had just realized what she had been looking at, and switched it off hurriedly. Kata smirked.

"Saya. It's not a crime to be looking up your past in the library. You looked at Joel's diary, huh?" Kata whispered, while Saya's face flushed. Flustered, Saya collected her things and thanked the librarian for her help, before dragging Kata out of the library.

"Ah~ so much better. I can talk at a normal volume!" Kata grinned, and Saya couldn't help but smile back. Linking her arm through Saya's, Kata began to stroll along the street, Saya in tow.

"So. How you holding up, huh?" Kata asked, sympathetic. Saya looked at her, about to protest, but faced with both of Kata's eyes she couldn't say anything, and seemed to almost shrink.

"Okay. No, really, okay. Not great, but okay." Saya said honestly, before shooting Kata a curious glance.

"Your eyes…"

"Are different colours. Halleluiah, it's a miracle. Seriously," Kata laughed as Saya play-shoved her, "I have never seen you catch on so fast!" Saya looked grumpy, but they both knew it was just harmless banter.

"You've got heterochromia. We learnt about it at school; it's when a person has different coloured eyes, or a partially different coloured eye, due to genetics or injuries." Saya recited; randomly surprised that she remembered so well. Kata stared at her.

"Uh…yeah. I looked it up too… mine are due to genetics." Kata commented; uninterested.

"Why did you hide one of them?" Saya asked, trying and failing to nonchalantly eye the ice-cream stall across the street. Kata gave her a knowing look and dragged Saya over to it. Shaking her head exasperatedly, Kata bought herself and Saya chocolate ice-creams.

"Why did you hide one of them?" Saya repeated, taking her ice-cream from the vendor with a thank you. Kata surveyed her for a moment, taking her own ice-cream, before answering.

"Because it was scarred. A big long red scar, down here." Kata gestured to her eye where the scar had been barely three hours ago. Saya frowned; she might have only recently got over her complete denial about her humanity, but it was obvious even to her that Kata wasn't human either.

"Scarred?" Kata suppressed the urge to roll her eyes again at this question; it was so similar to Diva's reaction.

"Yeah. Scarred. Does repeating things out loud help you understand them or something?" Saya glared at her, but refused to be dissuaded.

"I thought you couldn't scar." Saya stated; confident that she was correct, on this matter at least. Kata surveyed her yet again.

"I didn't think I could either. This was you." Kata said carefully; watching Saya's face. Saya's eyes widened with shock.

"Me?" She whispered; horror threading through her voice. "I… I did that?" Kata nodded, solemn.

"In Vietnam." Understanding dawned on Saya's face; Vietnam, thirty years ago, when she had gone berserk.

"I did so many terrible things…" she said softly, more to herself than to Kata, yet more guilt in her eyes. Kata rolled her eyes.

"Saya. No, look at me." Saya reluctantly did so, as they both moved out of the way so a couple with a young boy of about four could buy their ice-creams. "That was not your fault. Okay? No, don't try and deny it, it wasn't." Saya frowned, upset.

"It was though. I was the one who killed all those people…"

"Yeah. And who was stupid enough force you awake? Who was too useless to stop you?" Saya blinked, surprised. Kata was the first person who had outright said they didn't blame her for the Vietnam massacre; even Hagi kept silent on that subject. "The Red Shield woke you up. Hagi and I couldn't stop you. Diva couldn't wake up and stop you either. Diva's chevaliers were stupid too; Carl let out the monsters. Diva sang. The Red Shield were stupid. So don't blame yourself; we're all to blame." Kata said, more sincere in that moment than Saya had ever seen her. Saya licked her ice-cream, embarrassed.

"Thanks, Kata. That means a lot." She said quietly. Kata smiled and kept silent. They continued walking, no longer arm in arm due to their ice-creams, but close nonetheless, while Saya looked much happier. Kata smothered a laugh; Saya really liked her food.

"So, how's Riku?" Saya's face sobered, but she continued smiling.

"He's…surprisingly accepting. He doesn't blame me at all." Saya said, subdued. This time Kata did roll her eyes; exasperated.

"Okay, seriously, how much longer are you going to blame yourself for _everything_? I mean, come on, what good is that going to do? Riku knows that there's no point in blaming you for something that was a) unavoidable and b) can't be changed no matter how much you blame. So stop it, it makes you a depressing person to be around." Kata said, brutally bluntly honest. Saya blinked at Kata once more, before she began to laugh; the joyful sound bubbling up her throat, and soon Kata joined her, until both were bent over with mirth. Kata straightened first; she thought she was hilarious, but she didn't need to let off steam like Saya did. By the time Saya had straightened up, Kata had taken the time to do something she felt was very important; drawing several pocky from her pocket, she was sticking them rather artistically in the remains of her chocolate ice-cream.

"Um…Kata. Uh…is that good?" Kata looked at her, completely serious, as Saya felt an odd twinge to be faced with not only both of Kata's eyes for once, but also different coloured eyes; it was rather disconcerting.

"Pocky is the true equivalent of ambrosia and nectar." Kata declared, biting the end of one that was upended in the ice-cream. Saya, realising that Kata was literally saying that Pocky was 'food of the gods', shook her head and was about to disagree; Saya loved to talk about food, and knew rather a lot about it too, and so was eager to take advantage of this opportunity. But before she could say anything, Kata abruptly stiffened as her head whipped to the side.

"Crap…" she muttered; Saya barely caught the words as a wind blew through the street. "They were completed? ...No…" Kata trailed off, eyes shutting, as she moved her head gently from side to side; a curious action that reminded Saya of a dog trying to find a scent. Saya opened her mouth to question Kata, but the mismatched-eyed girl spoke again. "They're not the final copy, huh?" Kata's eyes opened to meet Saya's bemusedly questioning orbs. "The Schiff." Saya's eyes widened.

"You can sense that much? I could only just feel that they weren't human." At that Kata blinked, theatrically horrified (and, although she didn't realize it, it was an action that would have reminded of Nathan) and with a jarringly sudden movement touched her nose to Saya's, staring deeply into Saya's eyes; the duller brown concealing the pure red behind.

"Huh. Still not awake? Bloody hell, you're taking forever." Saya frowned.

"I thought I was awake..." she trailed off, confused. Kata rolled her eyes.

"You remember a lot, but not everything. That means Diva is like, a hundred times more awake than you." Saya's brow creased as she thought about this.

"So you ran into the Schiff?" Kata asked hurriedly before Saya could get lost in thought and then bring on yet another wave of guilt. Saya's eyes refocused as she considered the question.

"Um...yes. They attacked us a while ago-"

"Because they wanted your blood, to cure a disease called the Thorn?" Kata interrupted, a slightly pained look on her face. Saya regarded her, startled.

"You...how did you know that? Kai told us they were created-"

"In Russia." Kata interrupted again, grim. Saya blinked, yet again, beginning to look a bit like a startled owl.

"How... ?" Saya trailed off wordlessly.

"Immensely god-like skills. Anyway, what happened?" Kata said dismissively, her question focused.

"Well, Kai made friends with one of them; a blonde girl called Irene. She told him everything, and then she and Kai managed to convince the others just to ask for my blood, rather than kill me for it. They did and…" Saya suddenly stopped, guilt creasing her face. Kata dumped her ice-cream in a bin and pinched the bridge of her nose as if she had an extremely intense headache.

"I should've guessed something like this would happen… those lying bastards." Kata muttered, unheard by Saya, who struggled, before speaking again and finishing her story.

"I gave Irene my blood. She…"

"Died and crystallized." Kata finished for her, massaging her temples. "Damn." Saya also dumped her half eaten ice-cream in a bin; her appetite lost.

"My blood… what exactly is it?" Saya asked with a shudder. Kata gave a dry laugh, as Saya stopped walking and Kata did the same.

"Your blood is pumped around by your heart. It carries essentials around your body. It's not your blood that's the problem." Kata said. Saya stared at her.

"Wha-"

"Saya!" Both girls looked up at this; Saya had unwittingly led them back to the hotel where she and the Red Shield were based. And now Kai was standing there, walking towards them with a smile on his face, Hagi and Riku sombre, in the background. Kai's eyes took in Kata, but his only reaction was a nervous swallow and a narrowing of his eyes. Kata's eyes narrowed in return, suspicious, as she followed Saya beneath the archway and into the courtyard of the hotel where the Red Shield were staying.

Kata's suspicions were correct; no sooner had she stepped from the shadows into the light of the courtyard than several tranquiliser darts thudded into her back and shoulder, their pointed ends piercing through her t-shirt and drawing small spots of blood. Saya's eyes widened in panic; Kata assumed that Saya had not been part of this plan; it was all the Red Shield. Kata didn't stumble in the slightest, as the jubilant Red Shield rushed down to the courtyard and capture Kata once more; David and Lewis had been the shooters, and Julia followed them, eager for knowledge.

David, being the fittest, was the first to arrive, and he strode up to Kata a grim smile on his face. He faltered slightly about half a metre away at the sight of Kata still standing, a slightly sardonic look on her face. A puffing Lewis and worried Julia stopped behind him.

"What…the hell…?" Lewis panted; he had had to run down several flights of stairs. _Wow. He might be an army guy, but there's only so much exercise he can take being that fat, huh? No offence, Lewis. You're awesome, but fat._ Kata thought absentmindedly, while she tried not to laugh at the confused expression painting David's stern features.

"Those tranquilisers should be able to render a chiropteran unconscious in minutes…" Julia murmured, while Kata continued to stare at them, unimpressed.

"Fail." She said. The skin around David's eyes tightened. Kata sighed and began to pick the tranquilisers that were still lodged in her skin or t-shirt out. "I really liked this t-shirt, too." She glanced up and David, Lewis and Julia caught her full two-eyed look for the first time. "You realise you're paying for a new one, right?" Kata beamed at them. Julia stepped forwards, nervous but curious.

"Your eyes…" Julia got out, before David motioned her back, eyeing Kata like a particularly dangerous beast. Kata rolled the eyes that Julia had so coherently been referring to and, having finally removed all the tranquiliser darts, put her slightly bloody hands on her hips.

"Oh, geez. I have had that reaction from Saya already thanks, and yes, my eyes are different colours. Don't normal people get this? Why is it such a big deal?" Kata said; in a tone that did sound angry, though also bored and almost scripted as well.

"Honestly. How rude you are. When I came to talk to you about the Schiff, too." Kata continued complaining. David raised is gun and aimed it at Kata's head. Kata looked down the barrel as if it were a vaguely repulsive and very dead bug, but before she could say anything, Saya rushed forwards to stand in front of her. Her hands in fists by her sides, Saya glared at David.

"Don't. Please don't hurt her." Saya said; her words surprisingly flinty. Evident shock flared in not only David's eyes, but Lewis's, Julia's and Kai's as well. David probably would have protested, but Hagi, with Riku hastily following, moved to stand behind Kata and Saya; backing up their Queen's words, and David decided against it and simply put his gun away. Kata looked slightly relieved.

"Oh good; I only just washed my hair. I would have hated to get blood in it." Kata said absentmindedly, as she followed Saya and the Red Shield members into the hotel. Assembling in the room where they were staying, everyone variously seated themselves or stood against walls. Kata herself leaned against the window; facing the table where David, Julia, Saya and Kai were sat. Riku and Hagi stood to one side, while Lewis bumbled about rifling in the fridge. There was a small silence filled only with the sound of Lewis eating, and Kata rummaging in her pocket for a pocky. Placing the snack in her mouth, she regarded the assembled people as though they were an interesting museum exhibition. David cleared his throat.

"Well? What is it about the Schiff you wanted to tell us?" David demanded, his voice tight as he tried to keep his anger under control Thoughtfully, Kata took the pocky from her mouth and twirled it between her fingers.

"You know what they are, correct?" This question was directed and Julia, who looked startled; it was the first time Kata had addressed her directly.

"Um… yes. They're chiropterans. We're not sure what kind they are though; they aren't mindless monsters or chevaliers. They seem to be… man-made."

"Indeed. They are artificial chiropterans, designed like chevaliers, but not quite that powerful, using Diva's blood. They were manufactured in Russia." David frowned, while Lewis finally seated himself; an inhumanely massive sandwich in his hand.

"We could have figured that much out by ourselves." David stated. Kata raised her mismatched eyes to meet his.

"They're not the final product." She said quietly.

"What?" Lewis asked around mouthful of food. Kata shot him a slightly disgusted look which was clearly asking him whether he was certain about the edibility of his sandwich, before answering.

"They're prototypes; which means that you're probably going to run into the final product at some point; and they will be much harder to kill than the Schiff, plus they'll probably be mass produced." Kata said in a very matter of fact kind of way; which was met with various reactions of grim determination and shock.

"How do you know?" Julia enquired, folding her arms and pushing her chest up. Kata smiled grimly.

"Let's just say that I know about this kind of thing." She was met with blank stares, so with a sigh, Kata elaborated.

"I have access to this kind of information, okay? It's quite easy for me to find out." Saya frowned and joined in the conversation; although her words were directed at Kata only.

"Who are you Kata? Why did your singing wake Riku up?" Riku's eyes widened and then shot to Kata's face in wonder. "Why are your eyes different colours? Why do you help me? Who are you?" Saya asked, her voice becoming more and more agitated as the questions piled up.

"Why are you so nice to me? How do you know me? Do you know me from before? Why don't I remember you? Why do you know so much?" Kata pinched the bridge of her nose again in frustration, before opening her closed eyes. She locked gazes with Saya, and completely ignoring the Red Shield, answered her.

"I am Katana Ibukishi. My singing woke Riku up because Diva's can. My eyes are different colours due to genetics. I help you because I am loyal to you. I am your friend. I am nice to you because I love you. We met a long time ago. I do know you from before. You don't remember me because you aren't fully awake yet. I know so much because I have been around for a long time." Kata answered her seriously; the fact that she was speaking the truth was clear in her eyes even to David.

"Because Diva's can?" Julia asked with a frown. Riku continued to stare at Kata, while David also gave her a searching look. Kata sighed and cradled her head in her hands.

"Oh, hell. I have no way of answering that, so you're just going to have to accept it." Kata groaned into her hands. "I guess I put my power into my voice or something, I don't know. That's what Diva does."

"I thought it was the song that was powerful?" Riku spoke suddenly, a puzzled expression on his boyish features. Kata looked up at him, considering.

"Not exactly. It's more like putting power into your voice… some songs make it easier than others." Kata answered with a shrug.

"How do you know that?" David demanded. Kata's eyes flickered towards him and he felt a very unmanly urge to squirm from the force of her gaze. Ignoring it, he stared back insolently.

"I just do. As I said, I'm good at getting information." She said. David opened his mouth to question her further when the door opened with a bang, and a complaining Okamura and a pissed off Mao came through the door. They stopped bickering in surprise when they caught sight of the serious congregation turned disapprovingly towards them. Kata looked amused, and let out a small chuckle which unintentionally reclaimed everyone's attention once more.

"Who's she?" Mao asked rudely, while Okamura's eyes widened as he greedily drank Kata in. Kata looked even more amused.

"Oh, so they caught up with you did they?" She asked, her voice full of bubbly mirth. Lewis frowned slightly as he finished off his sandwich.

"You mean you knew these guys were following us?" Kata squashed a laugh.

"They've been following you since Vietnam. Well, the dude has been following you since George's death; he investigated the site after they bombed the base." Kata said thoughtfully. "Mao joined him later, after Vietnam." Kata said. David stood, both hands planted on the table.

"How do you know that? Does that mean you've been following us since then as well?" David said angrily. Kata playfully placed her hands over her mouth.

"Oops!" She said cheerfully, not sounding the slightest bit regretful. "I've been following Saya since about a day before she killed that chiropteran in the school." Saya looked shocked, while various sounds of surprise sounded around the room. Hagi's eyes narrowed slightly, before he gave a barely audible sigh and spoke:

"It is Kata's nature to observe people before making contact with them. Considering what happened last time Saya was awake, it is no wonder that she was wary." He stated. Kata beamed at him. Saya looked back, guilt flashing across her face. Kata noticed and rolled her eyes.

"If you start blaming yourself again I'm going to hit you." Kata warned. Saya blinked before giving a reluctant smile. Kai, who had been uncharacteristically silent, saw this and frowned.

"Kata. What is your relationship with Saya?" He asked stiffly. Everyone turned to look at him. "I mean, you look like sisters, but you're not Diva, and there's no other record of Saya having any family." He stated. Kata gave him a withering look.

"How many times am I going to have to say this? I'm her friend. I'm…" Sudden inspiration hit her and she had to hold back a gleefully mischievous smile. "I'm like Hagi." Everyone stared at her.

"You're a chevalier?" Kai asked, puzzled. Abruptly, Kata's expression hardened and ice seemed to splinter her gaze. You would have to have known her extremely well to see the glint of humour in her eyes.

"No. I am not a dog, and if you ever call me one again, I am going to rip you head off." Kata sang sweetly. Kai swallowed. The clock on the wall began to chime five quietly, and Kata, distracted, looked horrified.

"Oh crap! I'm going to be late! Oh… crappity crap! I have to go, I have an appointment somewhere! Bye!" Kata gave Saya a quick hug and began to hurry from the room.

"God… that was a fast mood swing…" Kai muttered. Kata, passing his chair, suddenly stopped and stiffened. She then promptly whacked Kai over the back of the head. Hard. Kai's head snapped forwards as he let out a cry of pain.

"Do not mention God in my presence." Kata snapped, her voice hard. Then with a blur, she was gone, leaving Kai to his pain, and the rest of them to their questions.

-n/s-

"Solomon." Himi, hidden by the shadows of a large overhanging tree, spoke quietly, but the blonde waiting by the car had heard her. Solomon stiffened and looked around, recognising Himi's voice.

"Diva and I are going with Carl to the Red Shield this evening. I want you to go and warn them." Himi said. Solomon's eyes widened, and then he frowned.

"Why-"

"Don't ask questions. Just do it." The tone of command in her voice was impossible to ignore, and inexplicably, Solomon did. But he didn't just warn them out of obedience, but also out of love.

-n/s-

"Himi you're late." Diva said in a singsong disapproving voice.

"I'm so sorry Diva." Himi apologized, admiring Diva's hair. Most of it was swept up at the back, but four long locks hung free from the top of her head. The big bun of the rest of her hair was studded with pearls and she had a bow with a blue rose secured at the base of it. The hairstyle complimented Diva's blue and creamy white dress perfectly; and Himi was satisfied.

"I love your hair, Diva!" Himi smiled happily, and she was rewarded by a smile from Diva.

"Where were you?" Diva asked, her smile suddenly gone, though her eyes were still teasing.

"Himitsu~" Himi giggled, while Diva glared before shrugging and vacating the hair-dresser's chair.

"Fine. I don't care anyway." Diva said petulantly. The stylist looked questioningly at his customer, and received a blue eyed glance in return.

"Um…" The stylist stuttered, before Diva took pity on him and smiled.

"Himi, I want him." Himi laughed.

"I don't mind. I'm not really hungry, but will you let him do my hair first?"

"Oh, alright. You had better be quick."

-n/s-

When Himi left the hair salon she very nearly looked like a different person all over again. Having changed into the white dress that the pair had bought previously with her hair done, Himi looked enchantingly beautiful, and somehow managed to pull off the look without infecting or interfering with Diva's beauty.

The (now dead) stylist had decided to put extensions in Himi's hair, so that it now flowed to her shoulders. Her fringe was brushed to the side, and the rest of her hair fell from the crown of her head, held in place by a wreath of plaits studded with small white pearls. The two girls looked beautiful, as both Nathan and Solomon could not tell them fast enough. Himi and Diva shared a smile, before Diva began to giggle.

"Do you think I look beautiful enough to visit sister Saya and that boy?" Diva whispered in Himi's ear. Himi shot her a surprised questioning look, which was answered with a devilish smile.

"Carl promised to take me to the Red Shield, and sister Saya, so I can meet that boy."

"Riku?"

"Is that his name?" Diva said carelessly.

"Anyway, are you coming with me?"

"Of course Diva." Himi said with a widening smile.

"Will you sing with me?"

"Ah~ how lovely, a _Shuangren_." Nathan commented. Diva looked puzzled, before with a giggle, Himi informed her of the word's meaning;

"_Shuangren_ is the Chinese word for duet." Diva and Himi shared another smile.

In the fuss that followed the arrival of Carl and Diva on the Red Shield HQ, not many who noticed Himi's presence lived. And nobody realised that the singing was a duet.

* * *

**Hello! WOW this chapter is long... it's 12 pages... -.-' hope you like!**

**With the scar healing business; I don't really like it, but I needed to show that Saya's blood couldn't kill her, but left a mark, and at the same time I didn't want Kata/Himi to have a permanent scar so... sorry for that. I also kind of feel that nothing really happens in this chapter... but next chapter should be good !**

**please review XD**


	15. Chapter 14 : The Bloody Shield

**Chapter 14 - The Bloody Shield**

Blood splashed across the deck as more and more Red Shield operatives fell. Himi side-stepped and with a blur, avoided the splatter of blood and thrust her hand through another Red Shield member's chest. For a moment, she paused, feeling the gentle beating of the man's heart soft beneath her fingers, before her fingers tightened. The resulting spray she also avoided; determined to keep her dress clean.

"Hee hee." Himi giggled, while Diva smiled, her eyes deadly and glowing.

"Where do you think that boy is, Himi?" She asked lazily, as she flitted past the rampaging Carl towards her giggling friend. Himi calmed herself, though her smile remained on her face.

"I don't know. Maybe he's hiding?" Himi suggested gleefully, drunk with victory and death.

"Ah, hide and seek… my favourite game." Diva said, as her cerulean eyes glowed even brighter, and she disappeared in a blue blur. Himi watched her go, suddenly vaguely sombre. Without even looking at him, she twisted the head of the man trying to sneak up on her right off, before vanishing herself, leaving the dead body still gushing blood behind her.

She moved swiftly around the ship, searching for Saya. She knew Diva could take care of herself, and although her appearance was stuck as Himi, Kata cared for Saya and was desperate to make sure she was okay. About twenty minutes and forty two murdered Red Shield members later, Himi found her. She stayed hidden though; wary. It was the first time that she had seen Saya through Himi's eyes, and frankly the only thing it made her want to do was re-dress her and preferably get her a whole new wardrobe at the same time. Frowning and shaking her head yet again at her constant ability to completely wander off topic in severe situations, Himi returned to watching Saya and Hagi fight Carl.

"Tch." Himi rarely gritted her teeth, but grit them she did. She wanted to help. The Kata in her wanted to help. Hell, the _Himi_ in her _and_ the Ibukishi as well wanted to help. But she couldn't. Because of Carl. _Ugh. Carl._ Himi's eyes narrowed. She had never liked Carl. At all. But Karl would recognise her. She couldn't guarantee that even if she helped, Carl would be defeated. Fighting against madness was pretty hard. And if Carl saw her helping Saya…_Shit. Amshel would kill me._ Himi frowned unhappily, but couldn't bring herself to leave.

_Maybe if I tell Carl that Diva needs him? No, cause then she would tell him to bugger off…dammit I always knew this multiple-personality disorder thing would kill me. _Himi frowned some more, before with a final slash, Saya left Karl to Hagi.

"Hagi! I'm going to find Diva, you fend him off!" Himi's eyes narrowed, both gleaming dangerously. _Oh, no you don't._ There was a blue blur, and Himi flitted past Saya to find Diva herself. Hagi felt Himi's anger; and vaguely recognised it, but as Carl smashed into his cello case yet again at that precise moment, he didn't consider it for long. Saya ran along the deck, sword clenched in her hand. So set was she on finding Diva, she didn't notice a blue blur flicker past her.

-n/s-

Himi arrived, hair extensions swinging, in the hold among various crates filled with hell knows what, just as Diva was pulling her dress back on. A slightly disapproving look on her face, Himi sighed and walked sedately forwards; ignoring the silently crying naked Riku by Diva's feet.

Kai, curled up in pain on the floor, heard the smart click of heeled shoes as Himi passed him, and looking up, saw through a haze of pain a vaguely recognisable person.

_Kata... no, Kata has short hair, and she would never dress like that..._ Himi, noticing Kai upon his grunt of pain as he vaguely returned to consciousness, half angled her face towards him. The light caught her eyes, and had he had the energy to, Kai probably would have gasped. _It _is_ Kata! Only Kata has eyes like that! What is Kata doing with Diva?_

Diva, now mostly dressed, draped her arms around Himi's shoulders, giggling as Kai struggled to sit. Himi, now fully turned towards him, watched him impassively.

"Hee hee. Himi, I'm not finished with that boy yet, so would you?" Diva asked pleasantly, as if she were asking Himi to pass the jam. Himi glanced back at her with a smile.

"It would be my pleasure. May I kill him?" Himi asked, eyeing Kai in anticipation. Kai stuttered, confused; hadn't Kata specifically said she was Saya's friend? Why was Diva calling her 'Himi'? Diva contemplated, removing her arms from Himi and picking up the jacket of her dress thoughtfully.

" Mmmm. No, I want to kill him. Not now, let's leave him be, shall we?" Diva said carelessly. Himi breathed an unnoticed sigh of relief and stepped closer to Kai. Said ginger was now up on his elbows, face creased in pain. Himi bobbed down next to him, before leaning in and whispering in his ear.

"Stupid ginger." Standing, Himi kicked him in the head, and Kai saw stars, before passing out again. Nobody was watching, and Kai was certainly in no position to notice, but Himi's kick was not as casually brutal as it appeared; Himi made sure to kick him hard enough that he would pass out, but although she could have easily broken his skull and / or given him permanent brain damage, but she did not. Turning back to Diva and helping her put her jacket back on, Himi wondered not for the first time if the boundaries between 'Kata' and 'Himi' were much more indistinct than she had first thought.

"Diva, what are you going to do with this boy?" She asked lightly, as if she was asking Diva whether she would like to spread her jam on toast or a croissant. Diva smiled gleefully.

"Well... he has given me something precious, so I should give him something in return, right?" Himi didn't react, other than to continue smiling. Diva, eyes glowing, turned to Riku, completely still, tears tracing down his face as he stared blankly at nothing. Diva, still smiling, held out her hand. Himi looked at the gloved hand in vague surprise, before, ignoring Kata's protests; she reached beneath her skirt to fetch a small dagger.

Said dagger, which was delicate, but sharp, embedded with a blue sapphire on the hilt with engraved roses tracing down the blade, was then used to slash Diva's hand; from which the glove had long since been removed. Diva, still smiling like a maniac, slowly dripped the blood into Riku's open mouth, he stiffened, and starting at his fingertips, he began to crystallize. By this point Kata was protesting loudly, and Himi was not sure she could hold her in check much longer, when she was saved by the arrival of Saya. _And Carl. But who's counting Carl?_

As soon as Himi felt Saya approaching she flickered out of sight, and Diva made no comment; in the past Himi had always vanished during confrontations with Saya; Kata did likewise when with Saya.

Diva had picked up Kai under one arm, and standing at the end of a corridor of crates, she was smiling.

"You're here too, Sister?" Diva laughed. Himi heard all of this but she was only watching for a sign of one of the sister's death; whichever, she was determined to stop it, as Saya stopped her pursuit of Carl and turned towards her twin.

"Kai!" Saya yelled, noticing her brother. His ginger head shifted slightly, and Saya's eyes narrowed.

"Diva, what have you done to Kai?" Saya yelled emotionally, and when Himi looked back on it she would laugh.

"Nothing at all, sister." Diva said complacently, her bleeding hand still held aloft. "I was just going to give him some of my blood." Diva said, her voice turning sinister at the end of her sentence. At the mention of Diva giving blood, Kata suddenly reared to life and Himi remembered Riku. Knowing that she was out of sight, Himi rushed to the dying chevalier, panicked. While she was not at all sure why she suddenly cared for the little chevalier she had had so little interaction with, Himi, and Kata and Ibukishi all knew that they cared, and they were going to do something about it.

Dragging him further out of the way, she anxiously grabbed the decorated dagger and cleaned it of Diva's blood, hurriedly using it to slash open her own wrist and beginning to hold her bleeding arm over Riku's face. She half-heard Saya cry Diva's name in rage, and felt her rush forwards. Himi tensed and was about to rush to Diva's aid, when she realized that she could only smell Diva's blood, meaning that Saya's blade was not loaded. Relaxing, Himi continued trying to get Riku to drink.

"Come on, come on." Himi muttered, as red poured down her hand and into his mouth, splashing over his chin. The crystallizing effect had not reached his heart, and Himi's blood seemed to have stopped it in its tracks, but it hadn't begun to reverse yet. "Dammit." Himi swore in a very unladylike manner that at any other time Himi would have been ashamed of, and gave up trying to drip her blood into Riku. Raising her slashed wrist, that was still pumping blood energetically even as it slowly healed, she drank. Ignoring the slight taste of bile in the back of her throat, Himi bent over Riku and pressed her bloody lips to his.

She barely took in the events happening on the other side of the pile of crates; she heard Diva laughingly tease Saya about forgetting to coat her sword with blood, heard Kai drop to the floor with a thump as Diva let go of him, letting Saya drive her backwards. She noticed when Saya fell to the ground and caught a glimpse of Riku's still stony legs and arm -_not quite out of the way enough, huh?_- and she heard Saya's shocked whisper of her baby brother's name.

"Since I got something precious from this child, I gave him some of my blood in return." Diva said sweetly, caressing her stomach. Himi heard this, while all the while she was feeding Riku her blood, bloody mouth to bloody mouth as she tried desperately to combat the effects of the vast amount of blood Diva had given Riku. Himi registered Diva's next words, and would later discuss them with her;

"But I finally know how it feels, how sister feels when she kills a chevalier. It's a good feeling…" Diva said gleefully, a hard, cruel edge to her voice as she spoke to her twin lying on the floor. Her voice turned commanding, and her next words almost froze the blood in Kata's veins.

"Carl, you may do as you wish with my sister." Both Kata and Himi narrowed their eyes as they raised their head from Riku's. Himi was jolted back, no longer coexisting with Kata, when with a wheeze from Riku; the stony cracks began to recede from his body.

"With pleasure." Came Karl's echoing beast-like voice.

"Farewell, sister." Diva said. Only Himi heard the sadness in her voice as Diva turned and left. Preoccupied as she stroked Riku's now soft and sweaty forehead to calm his gasps as the cracks and stone retreated, Himi didn't notice really as Hagi arrived and saved Saya and Kai from Carl. At that moment, the ship rumbled and the many crates were thrown every which way; smashing down on Riku's right arm. His still stony hand came away and shattered into red, and Himi cursed; she should have foreseen that. Himi swept up the now unconscious, but still _alive_, Riku in her arms and moved out of the way.

Crouching in the ventilation to protect herself and the boy in her arms from the crates, Himi had an excellent vantage point to see what happened next. Hagi, holding Carl back, learned of Riku's 'fate' from Saya. Glancing over, he caught sight of the crate and the red shards that had once been Riku's hand and wrist. His facial expression did not change, but his grip on Carl's arm did; the beastly thing broke in his grip with a squishing noise. Hagi dispatched Carl incredibly fast, to Himi's relief. She clutched Riku closer to her chest as Kai began to call his brother's name, her extensions brushing his sleeping face and shoulder.

Saya began to cry as Kai reached out pathetically for the remains of his brother. The ship rumbled again, and more crates and ventilation fell. Himi made a quick escape; noticing as she left in a blur that Kai had grasped the red stone that had once been the palm of Riku's right hand.

-n/s-

_Oh shit. I fricking HATE the Red Shield! Dammit! Only those masochist bastards would come up with the idea to sink the ENTIRE BLOODY SHIP!_ Himi was standing on a deck, out of the way once more. Riku lay at her feet as she rested from carrying him. Her lips were clamped shut and both eyes were glowing angrily; one florescent red, the other an eerie blue, as she watched an injured Joel, David, Lewis and Kai leave Hagi and Saya behind and escape in a helicopter.

The following dialogue between Saya and Diva that followed did not interest Himi as she raged silently. _Oh geez. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Why? Seriously? Saya has turned back into a masochist. That's nice to know. Hurray. _Himi thought, pissed did not often get 'pissed off', but when she did she could be scarier than Kata. Though not as scary as Ibukishi. She frowned briefly as she contemplated that: _this multiple personality is getting very confusing._

Suddenly snapping back to reality, Himi realized with a jolt that Saya might actually kill Diva this time. Her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, no you don't." She growled softly, unheard by anyone, as both her eyes began to shine. "Don't you dare kill each other now."

-n/s-

Himi was still frustrated when after about five minutes of Diva and Saya fighting pointlessly, Hagi and Carl grappling and herself dragging the unconscious Riku around, she finally found the thankfully intact control room. She quickly proceeded to hack through their databases; setting off even more explosions. With satisfaction, she felt Carl and Diva leave. Moments later, Hagi and Saya did the same; jumping off the side and into the sea as Himi pressed the enter key like a small child with an intense curiosity for buttons might, setting off explosion after explosion.

The smoke was thick in the air and flames were flickering everywhere, dancing across the deck. Growling under her breath something about the uselessness of Nathan and chevaliers in general, Himi picked Riku up once more, bridal style, and leapt into the ocean. Annoyed that she was going to get her dress wet, Himi tightened her grip on Riku and shut her eyes; preparing for the impact of landing in the freezing water below.

Only to be met with quite a different impact, quite without water or cold, though just as hard.

_Apparently Nathan isn't as useless as I thought he was._ Himi thought with gritted teeth as the bruises on her thighs from landing on the purple chevalier's back healed with a stinging tingle. Grumbling under her breath, she leant low into Nathan's back, Riku held to her chest, the wind blowing her temporarily long hair out behind her.

"Thanks, Nathan." Nathan smiled, which looked incredibly creepy on his purple monster's face, but he didn't speak, and simply flew off into the darkening sky, leaving the burning ship behind.

* * *

**Hello! I'm sorry this chapter isn't as long, but I've had exams and revision so... the next one should be longer, but thus it might not be up for a while... I hope you like! **

**please review XD**


	16. Chapter 15 : The Lost Year of Memories

**Chapter 15 - The Lost Year of Memories**

Saya gasped, coughed and spluttered, all in one go, as she crawled out of the sea, Hagi close behind her, a supporting hand on her back.

"Wow. That is _so_ attractive." Came a light, sarcastic voice, and Saya looked up, confused, to be met with a helping hand. With a cross between a groan and a sigh, Saya took Kata's hand, and Kata pulled her up, leaving Hagi to sort himself out.

"Right. Let's get you to a warm place." Kata said briskly, giving Hagi a meaningful look and striding off. Hagi obliged and picked the shivering Saya up in his arms. For once, his queen didn't protest, and he followed the pale silhouette of Kata as she led them off the pebbly beach and into the trees beyond.

Saya, shuddering, emotionally drained and exhausted, kept her wavering eyes on Kata's form; taking in variously random things about her friend's appearance; the way the ends of her hair stuck up every which way and somehow looked slightly ragged; as if something had been hurriedly pulled through them. She absentmindedly wondered what had happened to Kata's jacket; once again she wasn't wearing it, but was wearing old sweats; which was very odd. Saya had never seen Kata in clothing that did not at least vaguely resemble combat gear.

Saya did not know it, but while preparing the small country house for Saya and Hagi, Kata had not been 'Kata' at all, but rather Ibukishi, who at that moment had seemed to favour tracksuits and baggy t-shirts. Flitting through the trees, the trio soon reached said house; secluded in a small clearing it was sweet, but unremarkable and typically French with its terracotta roof tiles and beige walls. The garden would have been magnificent in full bloom, but it wasn't, meaning that in the darkness of the very early morning it was filled with random black clumps that only vaguely resembled bushes.

Twisting the handle of the dusky blue door, Kata lead Hagi and Saya through the kitchen to the living room; yellow walled with a teak floor and dark blue saggy sofas, but most importantly a large, open fireplace where a blazing fire burned.

Hagi set Saya down on one of the sofas, which quickly became stained with sea water dripping from her clothes. A brief flicker of a disapproving Himi showed in Kata's eyes, but she brushed it aside and hurried up the stairs to prepare a bath.

After filling the tub with warm water, Kata rushed back down the stairs, eager to not only get Saya warm but also save her sofas. She shooed Hagi out of the living room and directed him to a bedroom on the ground floor where he might find a towel and dry clothes, as well as a shower in the bathroom next door. Turning back to the semi-conscious Saya, Kata promptly got rid of all signs of sleepiness by dragging the startled girl upstairs and shoving her into the steaming bath.

Once she had made sure that Saya wasn't going to drown, she flashed into the bedroom, silently thanking the stars that she and Saya were a similar size, while Himi was secretly revelling in the opportunity to buy Saya new clothes at a later date. Kata rummaged through the draws until she found something not unlike her own clothing; even the fashion-conscious Himi in her recognised the need for warmth and comfort when you had just crawled out of a freezing sea.

The next few minutes passed in a blur not only for Saya, but also Kata; just as tired and emotionally drained as the sleepy red-eyed girl. Inside five minutes, Kata managed to warm Saya up, get her dressed and put her to bed. Trudging down the stairs she nearly ran straight into Hagi; their fast reflexes the only thing averting the collision.

"Bloody hell Hagi!" Kata exclaimed, her lungs emptying with an explosion of air. Hagi looked at her, not in apologetic in the slightest. Kata returned his gaze sombrely for a few minutes, before with a sigh she answered the questions she knew the silent chevalier wanted the answers to.

"I was searching for information and when I came back to the Red Shield HQ, it had exploded. I scouted for you and found you. This house… belongs to me." Kata said with a shrug, the lies passing easily from her lips without notice, "I was here earlier, which is why the fire is burning… oh, alright. First bedroom on the left." Kata finished with a roll of her eyes; stepping to one side so Hagi could go to his queen's side.

Kata, exhausted, almost stumbled through the hallway and back into the living room, collapsing on the sofa that wasn't wet with a sigh. Kata closed her eyes, when with a groan she was forced to open them again; her throat was on fire. Cursing under her breath, Kata heaved herself up and went banging and crashing through the kitchen; searching for the recently stocked blood bags in the freezer. Moodily grabbing five, she returned to the living room, tearing one open with her teeth as she did so.

Five bags of blood and several pocky later, Kata finally fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-n/s-

"Kata! Kata, wake up!"

"Murrrgnflurble." Kata mumbled. Saya shook her shoulder more vigorously.

"KATA!"

"What! What? I'm up, I'm up!" Kata exclaimed, shooting upright from her previously curled up position on the sofa. Running a tired hand through her already tangled hair, Kata glared grumpily at a slightly sheepish Saya, who was kneeling by the couch.

"If it isn't a fire, impending disaster or a pocky theft, then you are going to regret waking me up." Kata said flatly; in her opinion it was far too early to even be thinking about opening one's eyes, and so she was very annoyed at the fact she was upright. Saya stuttered slightly; Kata looked particularly fearsome with her hair sticking up in random directions and both eyes unnaturally bright.

"Um… actually, I just wanted to know if it was okay if I borrowed these clothes and used the shower…" Saya mumbled. Kata's eyes narrowed, and Saya hurriedly continued; "But it's already noon!" Kata regarded her quizzically for a few moments with an expression that clearly thought that the time of day had nothing whatsoever to do with being upright.

Kata sighed and tried half-heartedly to flatten her hair, before stretching and standing up; taking in the sunlight streaming through the wide open windows on the warm breeze, and the stoic Hagi in black trousers and a shirt standing by Saya.

Said Saya was looking at Kata intensely as she also stood.

"What?"

"Where were you? Off being 'Himi' again?" Saya asked acidly. Kata lowered her arms and looked at her coldly.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Look," Kata continued, her voice softening, "I'm sorry I didn't get there in time, Saya, truly." Saya suddenly became very interested in the floorboards as tears formed in her eyes.

"If you had been there… then maybe… maybe Riku… Riku….might not have…" Saya bit her lip as the tears began to fall once more, and Hagi moved forwards; his arms comfortingly circling his queen's shaking shoulders. Kata blinked.

"Riku?" Hagi looked up at the question, his eyes somehow more shielded than usual.

"Diva… gave him her blood." Kata's eyes widened.

"Oh… oh. I'm sorry." She said softly. Saya glanced up.

"You could at least _try_ and feel guilty; you just look sad! And it could have been… your fault… if you'd been there then maybe Riku could have been saved!" Saya's outburst hung in the silence as her chest rose and fell with emotion; tears streaming down her face. Kata looked at her sadly.

"Look, I am so very sorry that I couldn't help, Saya, but the fact remains that I couldn't. I didn't get there on time. Even if I had, I might not have been able to help." Kata said, half to herself, as she ran both hands through her already messy hair and linked them behind her head. "Whatever; I didn't, and Riku… no amount of moping is going to change what happened to him." Saya looked up at Hagi miserably.

"Then… he's really… Riku is really… gone?" Saya asked, a faint imprint of hope still lingering in her voice. Hagi nodded sadly.

"Riku is dead, Saya." He said, as gently as possible. Kata lowered her gaze, but did not contradict him.

-flash back-

"Is he alright, do you think?" Ibukishi shot Nathan a glare as she settled the still dozing Riku on the hotel bed.

"You don't really care either way, do you?" she snapped, Himi's now tangled hair extensions swinging around her shoulders as she shook her head. Nathan waltzed over and began to pick the pearls out of the fraying plait holding the extensions in place. Ibukishi stiffened, but reluctantly relaxed when she realized what Nathan was doing; he was certainly more capable of sorting her hair out than she was.

"Mmm. I wouldn't say that." Nathan answered finally; his voice neutral. Ibukishi rolled her eyes.

"Then what would you say?" Nathan looked pleasantly surprised at the question; normally Ibukishi showed no interest at all in Nathan, full stop.

"Well~ I would say that if you care, then I care." Nathan said diplomatically, beginning to gently un-braid the plaits that were woven into Ibukishi's actual hair. Ibukishi snorted.

"Spoken like a true politician." She said mockingly, rolling her eyes and unhelpfully sitting down on the bed next to Riku. Nathan, his agile fingers still tangled in Ibukishi's hair, followed her with a somehow graceful lurching movement.

Nathan had just opened his mouth to reply when with a small moan, Riku returned to consciousness. His eyes flashed open. Another flash and he was sitting upright, glancing around in a panic. Ibukishi leaned forward and placed her hands on his fragile shoulders.

"Aaah! Diva! Saya! Kai! My hand… ugh!" Riku cast his eyes around the room, panicked, before staring at his stump in horror.

"Riku. Riku, calm down. Riku! It's okay, it's okay… sshh." Ibukishi murmured, gathering him into her arms as he began to cry; great fat tears rolling down his cheeks. Minutes passed as Ibukishi slowly rocked Riku in her arms; while Nathan managed to untangle his fingers from her hair, now back to its original mussed style.

"K-Kata?" Riku mumbled, raising his head and looking into her eyes. Ibukishi stroked his face anxiously.

"Not exactly." She said, with a gentle smile. "Riku, are you okay? Are you hungry or anything?" She asked, and was met with a shake of Riku's head in reply.

"Where am I? What happened? Saya… Diva! Diva she…" Riku's eyes grew very wide, and he began to shake again. Ibukishi rubbed his shoulder soothingly.

"Don't think about that now… Saya is fine. I brought you here from the Red Shield HQ. This is Nathan Mahler, my…" Nathan gave a sly grin and interrupted, moving to sit on the sofa facing the bed where Ibukishi sat with Riku.

"Che-va-li-er!" He sang, while Ibukishi shot him a glare.

"Chevalier?" Riku asked, frowning. Then… you're like Saya?" Ibukishi nibbled her lip absentmindedly as she regarded Riku; weighing something in her mind carefully before speaking.

"Sort of." She answered.

"You… Kata, you woke me up didn't you?" he murmured, staring at Ibukishi's face as he matched her to a memory. She blinked, and nodded.

"Um, yeah… well, technically I just sped your transformation up a bit, but you know…" Riku's breath was still a little fast, and he stared at his stump; it had softened completely, and then healed over the end.

"Nathan can help you get a hand back," Ibukishi explained, noticing his worried stare. Riku looked, up hope kindling in his eyes.

"Really?"

"Well, it'll be more like Hagi's hand, but don't worry about the details. It's better than a stump, I suppose." Nathan said good-naturedly, ignoring Ibukishi's exasperated look and examining his nails. The hope in Riku's eyes died a little, before, his breath slowing, he turned to gaze at Ibukishi, his mind whirring in confusion.

"What… what is going on?" He asked quietly; and it was not the voice of a confused little boy, but the voice of someone determined to find their answers. Ibukishi surveyed him silently for a minute.

"I'll tell you the truth, if you like." Riku blinked, before nodding, confused.

"Then I'll tell you what's really going on." Nathan gave her a questioning look, which Ibukishi ignored.

"Well. Where to start, huh? Okay… you know Saya is a queen, right?" Riku nodded again; serious and focused, the thinking helping to block out the memories he couldn'tlook at yet. "And you know that Diva is her younger sister, and she is also a queen? Saya is trying to kill Diva; for reasons I don't really understand, and I'm trying to stop it." Ibukishi said simply. Riku took this in, puzzled.

"But isn't Diva…" he swallowed nervously, before ploughing on. "Isn't she evil?" Ibukishi's gaze saddened.

"I don't think anybody is really evil, and nobody is really good. We're all a big jumbled mess. Diva is…desperate, and misunderstood." Said Ibukishi, choosing her words with precision.

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm friends with her." Ibukishi said, watching Riku's face carefully as he took this in.

"You're…"

"I have two identities. When I'm with Saya, I'm 'Kata'. That's the side of me that you know. Then I have another one; when I'm with Diva. Then, I'm 'Himi'."

"Right now," Nathan interrupted smoothly, ignoring the scathing look his queen gave him. "She's 'Ibukishi'; the surname she uses as both 'Kata' and 'Himi'. She is 'Ibukishi' when she isn't 'Himi' or 'Kata'." Nathan explained. Riku looked from Nathan to Ibukishi, as she nodded to confirm it.

"Right now, I'm Ibukishi." She repeated, looking slightly helpless. Riku blinked, and frowned at his lap where his left hand cradled what was left of his right thoughtfully.

"So… you're a queen, like Saya and Diva, and you like both of them. So you can be friends with both of them, you have two different faces; and then one more when you're being yourself. Because you like both Saya and Diva, you don't want either of them to die, so you're trying to stop them killing each other?" Riku surmised, and Ibukishi blinked; he was surprisingly perceptive.

"Heh. I guess so… You made me sound incredibly selfless there, Riku." Riku frowned at her some more.

"Is Kai okay?"

"Huh? Oh, _him_. He's fine. His head probably hurts a bit, but he's fine." Ibukishi said with a shrug. Riku looked visibly relieved, and leant back into his pillow.

"Oh, yes. He's fine, apart from the fact that Saya has left him and he thinks you're dead." Nathan commented conversationally. Ibukishi sighed exasperatedly, as Riku's eyes widened once more in shock.

"Dead?" He squeaked, his voice rising in surprise. "Why would he think…oh. Diva… she… after…" Riku scrunched up his face, and Ibukishi's own features creased with worry.

"Riku…"

"She… gave me her blood. But, that means…" Ibukishi looked at him solemnly.

"I stopped her blood from killing you by giving you my blood. It can do that. Not sure why." Ibukishi said with a frown as she half contemplated this. "But you know what this means, Riku?" she asked, her eyes suddenly focused as she locked gazes with the young boy. "Saya's blood turned you into a chevalier to save your life. Diva's blood tried to end it again, and then my blood saved you."

"So…?" Riku asked politely; not quite catching Ibukishi's point. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at him.

"So, you're still a chevalier, but you're not really Saya's anymore. Well, you're not exclusively Saya's." Riku nodded to himself like that made sense, while Ibukishi watched him.

_He's taking this surprisingly well… he's only cried once so far. I get the feeling he's cleverer than all of us on some level._

"So what does that mean?" Riku asked suddenly. Ibukishi blinked, before running a tired hand through her hair.

"Um… I guess it means you get to choose. You could return to Saya and be her chevalier. You could ask to serve Diva. Or… you could help me." Ibukishi said. Riku frowned.

"I don't… fell as drawn to Saya anymore. I don't really want to see Diva…" Riku broke off with a shudder and Ibukishi patted his shoulder.

"This might be kind of cruel, but I want you to help me Riku. I need help." She said sincerely, as Riku's shoulders hunched. Then he looked up; his eyes meeting hers with startling intensity, and Ibukishi knew he had reached a decision.

"I want to help you. I don't want Saya to die; or have to fight anymore. And Saya and Diva... are family. You shouldn't kill your family, you should try to help them." Riku said diplomatically; brushing aside his own personal feelings about Diva. "I'm Saya's family, so that means I'm Diva's family too." Riku said. Ibukishi and Nathan shared a shocked look, before Ibukishi turned back to Riku.

"You're sure?"

"Yes." Riku nodded decisively. "But… does Saya think I'm dead too?" Ibukishi shifted slightly.

"Uh… I was Himi when I saved you Riku… Himi doesn't mix with Saya… though actually Diva doesn't know I saved you either. But, yes, Saya thinks you're dead." Riku thought about this for a few more minutes.

"Would you do me a favour? Don't tell Saya I'm alive. I feel mean, but… I don't think Saya would let me help you. She wouldn't want me to help Diva, would she?" Riku asked, but the question was rhetorical. "So don't tell her. Not now… I'll tell her later, but not now." Riku said, guilt and sadness and worry fighting for dominance across his features. Ibukishi regarded him through her mismatched eyes.

"Sure, Riku. If that's what you would like, then I won't tell Saya that you're alive." Standing, Ibukishi stretched. "Well, rest well." Riku nodded, and then froze, eyes wide.

"Wait! I thought I couldn't sleep! But I've been sleeping!" Ibukishi looked at him and had to fight the sudden, inappropriate impulse to laugh; the poor boy had been turned into a chiropteran with three different queen's blood, raped by Diva and killed twice, and here he was worrying about the details of whether or not he could sleep. _How bizarre._

"Sleeping and unconsciousness due to pain are two very different things," Nathan said, his amusement evident. Ibukishi shot him a thoughtful glance, before turning to leave.

"Nathan, take care of Riku. I'll be back." She said, a slight hint of instinctive command creeping into her voice. Nathan mock bowed.

"If that is your wish, my queen." He said. If Nathan had not been virtually indestructible, he probably would have withered up and died at the glare Ibukishi shot at him, and the whole building seemed to shake as Ibukishi stalked out and slammed the door. Nathan winked at the startled Riku.

"Oops."

-end flash back-n/s-

"Kata! Kata, slow down!" Saya panted and finally succeeded in pulling her relentless friend to a halt. Kata glanced back at Saya, who was now bent over and trying to regain the ability to breathe, with an innocent expression on her face.

"What?"

"You're going… too fast!" Saya said, straightening. "Where are we even going?" A very un-Kata like gleam appeared in her eyes.

"Shopping." She declared, before dragging Saya forwards once more, albeit more slowly. Hagi followed, an inscrutable expression on his face.

"Shopping for what?" Saya asked, able to breathe at a normal rate once more. Kata glanced back at her incredulously.

"Clothes. Duh." Saya suddenly felt very afraid.

-n/s-

She had been right to. Kata seemed to be possessed when they hit the clothes stores, unceasingly dragging Saya around, in and out of changing rooms and through racks and racks of expensive clothing. Her unnamed credit card seemed to have unlimited cash (it was a spare one of Solomon's) and it flashed through the tills again and again. She moved with ruthless efficiency, discarding clothes that Saya thought perfectly fine and somehow always knowing when something better could be found. It was terrifying to say the least, not only for Saya, but for Hagi too; he wasn't forced to buy so much, but he was forced to carry the mounting piles of bags.

How Kata managed to find so many clothes shops would always be a mystery, but at last she seemed satisfied; turning with a grin to a weary Saya and Hagi.

"Just one more shop, guys!" She was met with a groan.

"Oi! What's with the long faces? You have to prepare for all situations, Saya. What if during your hunt for Diva, you have to go undercover to a posh dinner or something? You'll be glad of all those dresses then." Kata said, severe and matter-of-fact. Saya didn't answer, and just mutely followed Kata around the corner.

To both Saya and Hagi's surprise, the area they found themselves in was quite unlike the shiny bustling high street they had been on previously. The street wasn't narrow, but it was dark and dusty. It gave you the impression that not many people visited, and the busy sounds of the main street had faded. Saya looked around nervously, but Kata didn't notice and strode easily down the road. Puzzled, Saya and Hagi followed her.

She came to a halt outside a small, run down shop. Opening the door with peeling paint, Saya was surprised to discover that it was well oiled. Inside the shop it was the same; although the exterior was rundown and derelict, the interior was clean, if small, and lit not only by the musky daylight filtering through the windows, but also by an electric light, hanging off centre on the ceiling.

"Kata, where are we?" Saya queried, as Kata glanced back at her with an easy smile.

"I've been coming to this place for a _long_ time." She said, turning back and peering through the gloom gathered at the back of the shop. Saya glanced around.

"But Kata, this is an antique shop..." Saya trailed off as Kata rolled her eyes over her shoulder, before she gave a shout.

"Hello-o-o! Henry! You in there, or have you died in the past year?" There was a shuffle, and then a crash and a curse, and finally a man stumbled out of the room behind the shop, dodging around the till. Coughing in the cloud of dust, the man fumbled for the light switch, and suddenly the back half of the shop joined the front in light. Peering at her, the man's eyes widened.

"Kata? Good god, girl, I haven't seen you for months!" He said, a smile cracking his weathered face. As he stepped forwards to greet Kata, Saya and Hagi noticed that the man, Henry, wasn't young, but he wasn't old either; somewhere in his mid-forties, with greying brown hair and kind green eyes. Leaning around Kata, his eyes alit on Saya and Hagi.

"Well, who are your friends, Kata?" Kata grinned.

"Nice to see you again, Henry. This is Saya, that's Hagi." Henry nodded at them in greeting.

"What can I do for you?"

"Saya needs a jacket, preferably combat worthy. Her sword needs looking at too, plus Hagi's cello case. Oh, and Hagi needs a couple of daggers, he can show you the kind he has." The man nodded; business like at once.

Looking Saya up and down, he skilfully navigated around the trio and delved into an unnoticed rack of jackets. Saya suddenly realized that this shop must be where Kata bought her clothes; all of the items she could see closely resembled casual combat gear; like Kata's old leather jacket and boots.

"Right, here you go. Purple suits you dear, try this on, and if you could just give me your sword to look at?" Henry handed Saya a long, purple leather coat, and after cheerfully informing her that if she liked it she could get matching boots, took her katana from Hagi.

Taking the sword back to the till, he gently slid it out of its sheath; making admiring noises when he noticed the red gem set at the top end and the grooves along the blade. Saya shot Kata a worried look; most normal swords did not have grooves like that, but Kata just smiled at her reassuringly.

"Hmmm. This is a fine blade..." After a few minutes of muttering and running his fingers along the blade, Henry began to sharpen and clean Saya's sword. While he was busy with that, Kata turned to Saya, anxiously looking on, with the coat still clutched in her hands.

"Saya. He knows what he's doing. Now put the coat on."

"Why do I need this?" Saya asked resignedly, pulling the coat on. To her pleasant surprise it was more of a dress coat; coming down to mid-thigh, and it fit very well.

"For fighting. Sometimes having the right clothes helps. Plus you'll find this easy to clean the blood from." Kata said, stepping forwards to adjust the collar, while Saya zipped it up down the side, and on the sleeves. Kata stood back, while Hagi and Henry began discussing knives and cello cases.

Kata nodded, satisfied.

"Do you like it? You can wear a skirt or a dress under this, plus we can get the boots. Speaking of which, I need some too." Saya glanced down at Kata's feet, which were still shod in her biker boots; but they were now very scruffy and worn; possibly from the sea salt.

"I like it," Saya murmured, fingering the strap just under her chin, but Kata had already moved off; navigating among the bits and pieces with not only the determined air of someone who knows exactly what she is looking for, but also someone who knows the area they are searching well. Kata obviously frequented the shop often.

Minutes later, Kata came striding back carrying her own discarded boots and a pair of matching purple ones for Saya. As Saya took the purple boots, she looked at Kata's new footwear; boots again, but taller than her old ones; reaching up to just below her knee, with criss-crossed laces all the way up. Kata grinned and struck a pose so ridiculous that Saya gave a guffaw of laughter. Ignoring the startled looks from Hagi and Henry with a blush, Saya hurriedly pulled on the purple boots. Kata nodded her approval once more and turned to Henry; now finished with Hagi.

"Henry, would you check my blades? They're not sliding as smoothly as they should." Henry nodded as Kata reached beneath her jacket to pull out her swords; collapsed into their handles. Saya gave a start; she had not seen Kata wielding them for quite some time and was surprised to learn Kata was still carrying them.

"Her swords mean a lot to her. They were custom made a long time ago by this man's ancestor," Hagi murmured to Saya, nodding at Henry, who had pulled on a pair of thick gloves. Saya blinked and looked at the swords. She couldn't see any kind of mechanism; Henry grasped the handles with his gloved hands and the blades shot out of either end with a 'shing'. Henry nodded to himself.

"I see what you mean. I'll look at them, but it could take a while, these are very complex!" Kata nodded.

"Do you still have my other sword?" Henry broke into a smile once more.

"Of course! Here…" After a brief rummage, Henry handed a long, dark oblong package to Kata, which she slung over her shoulder with a nod of thanks.

"Payment as usual?"

"Business as usual." Henry returned, with an easy smile, before sliding Kata's swords beneath the worktop for later. Kata chuckled.

"Nice seeing you, old man. I'll come by at some point to pick those up."

"Sure thing."

"Bye!"

"-oh, good bye. And thank you!" Saya hastily added, while Hagi, holding the door open, nodded his thanks silently.

Stepping out into the open air, Saya suddenly became aware of how stuffy the little shop was. She breathed a huge sigh; trying to get as much of the cleaner air into her lungs as possible. A small smile quirked Hagi's lips as he collected their abundance of shopping bags.

Kata, with the oblong package still swung over her back, shifted uncomfortably.

"Damn. I do _not_ like this sword." She muttered, before with a lightning fast movement, her foot kicked up backwards. The black casing lid, stretched over thick, stiff cardboard, flipped off and a gleaming katana shot into the sky. Expertly, Kata caught it with her right hand and slashed it down. She repeated the slashing movement, before jabbing and whirling with it across the street, coming to a halt with the tip of the blade by her ankle. She gave a dissatisfied snort, before shoving the sword into its case once more.

"Damn. I'll have to practice later. Come on, time to go home." Kata said, suddenly seemingly as weary as Saya, the sword on her back weighted with old memories she would rather forget.

-n/s-

Riku looked up suddenly as Ibukishi tumbled through the door, hair windblown and cheeks flushed.

"Whew! Hey there, Riku!" Riku put his book a way with a gentle smile.

"Hello."

"How are you doing?" Ibukishi asked, bubbly, as she closed the door and wafted over to sit on the bed, facing Riku who was sitting in an armchair.

"Okay, actually. Nathan…" Riku trailed off, but understanding dawned in Ibukishi's eyes.

"He knows what he's talking about, huh?" Riku nodded, and Ibukishi beamed at him happily.

It had been barely a day since Ibukishi had left him, scared but comforted by her, with Nathan. He had been mistrustful of Nathan; with his innuendoes and jokes and flirty nature. Riku found it hard to deal with someone who was so insincere, being so in touch with his feelings himself. But Ibukishi's trust was not misplaced; though Nathan constantly had a mask up, he knew the ins and outs of life better than most.

In just a few short hours, Riku had gone from being an innocent, scared 14 year old boy to an older, ageless chevalier. Nathan had taught him what it meant; he no longer resented anything, he did not dwell on memories and experiences that should never have happened. As he could not sleep, they did not come back to haunt him in nightmares.

"Anyway, where have you been?" Ibukishi shrugged her jacket off with a happy grin.

"Shopping with Saya, and then some sword practice, it was really fun!" Riku's eyes strayed to the long black package Ibukishi had dumped on the bed curiously.

"I thought you fought with two… double-bladed swords?" He asked, puzzled.

"I do normally, but they need maintenance, so…" Ibukishi shrugged. "Nice clothes, by the way."

"Huh? Oh, these! Nathan got them for me! And he said you'd teach me how to fight, so I can help properly!" Riku said enthusiastically. Nathan had found him clothes similar to the others he had been wearing; but less rich pretty boy and more combat worthy.

"Did he now?" She muttered, reaching into her pocket for a pocky and putting it in her mouth with a more satisfied air.

"Why do you like those so much?" Ibukishi opened her eyes, surprised.

"Um…" She spoke around the pocky, leaning back into her pillows with a thoughtful look on her face. "I'm actually not really sure. They're just _so _good. I do like other stuff though. Fudge, chocolate, waffles, candy canes, stuff like that. These are just easier to carry lots of, I guess." Ibukishi said, finishing her pocky off with a snap.

"Hah. You're so mysterious as Kata, we never knew anything about you." Riku said. "Kai didn't like you much. I think you reminded him that Saya had a whole life without us." Ibukishi blinked, thinking.

"Really. Well, I don't like Kai much either. Always wining, and complaining, and unable to accept that life is shit. Very irritating," She reflected, frowning. "But he has a good heart." She grinned at Riku, who closed his mouth. "I think that's down to your dad."

"My dad?" Ibukishi looked at him, placing another pocky in her mouth.

"Yeah. He was a cool guy." She said softly, while Riku looked at the stump of his hand sadly.

"Yes. Yes, he was." Riku looked up, blinking away memories.

"I think he would have been able to help with all of this."

"This?"

"This… mess."

"Ah. That." Ibukishi reflected thoughtfully, running a hand through her hair again. At that moment, Nathan waltzed through the door with a guitar case on his back and several shopping bags.

"Helloooo! I'm home~" he sang, closing the door behind him and raising his arms in an 'o-so-holy-angel-of-the-lord' pose. Ibukishi's expression soured, while Riku laughed.

"Aww, come now Ibukishi. I brought clothes and your guitar…" he said, holding up the guitar case tantalizingly. There was a flash, and Ibukishi was sitting back on the bed, now with the guitar case in her lap, glaring at Nathan suspiciously. After the pocky-hotel-room incident, she was taking no chances.

Nathan gave an amused chuckle, before gracefully arranging himself in an armchair.

"Will you play something for us, Kishi dear? It's been so _long_ since I've heard your beautiful music. And you won't let me record it!" Nathan pouted, as Ibukishi glared at him again.

"Don't call me 'Kishi'!"

"Yes, yes. Now will you play something?" He wheedled.

"No!" She snapped, her eyes flaring with grumpy irritation as she clutched her guitar to her chest.

"Um… please?" Her eyes swivelled to Riku, who was looking apologetically eager. "I really liked that song you sang on the ship!" He exclaimed. Ibukishi blinked, while Nathan looked smug, before with a sigh, she removed her guitar from its case.

The guitar was acoustic; dark, silvery-grey wood with pale engraved vines tangling their way across it. A gentle expression came over her face as Ibukishi stroked it, and began to strum; randomly picking half-tunes as she pondered what to play.

The song that came was soft and sweet yet sad. It spoke of feelings she had buried long ago; memories she refused to dwell on. It brought a surge of emotion through all who heard it; Ibukishi singing and strumming her guitar, Riku sitting on the bed with his chin in his hand and stump, Nathan lounging in the chair; they all listened with different memories coming to the surface.

_You've really done it this time,_

_Left yourself in your warpath_

_Lost your balance on a tightrope_

_Lost your mind trying to get it back_

_Wasn't it easier in your lunch-box days?_

_Always a bigger bed for you to crawl into_

_Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything?_

_And everybody believed in you_

_It's alright, just wait and see_

_Your string of lights is still bright to me_

_Oh, who you are is not where you've been_

_You're still an innocent_

_You're still an innocent_

_There are some things you can't speak of_

_But every night you live it all again_

_You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now_

_If you'd seen what you know now then_

_Wasn't it easier in your firefly catching days?_

_When everything out of reach someone bigger brought down to you_

_Wasn't it beautiful run wild 'til you fell asleep?_

_Before the monsters caught up to you_

_It's all right, just wait and see_

_Your string of lights is still bright to me_

_Oh, who you are is not where you've been_

_You're still an innocent_

_Its okay, life is a tough crowd_

_All of us are still growing up now_

_Who you are is not what you did_

_You're still an innocent_

_Time turns flames to embers_

_You'll have new Septembers_

_Every one of us has messed up too_

_Lives change like the weather_

_I hope you remember_

_Today is never too late to_

_Be brand new_

_It's all right, just wait and see_

_Your string of lights is still bright to me_

_Oh, who you are is not where you've been_

_You're still and innocent_

_Its okay, life is a tough crowd_

_All of us are still growing up now_

_Who you are is not what you did_

_You're still an innocent_

"Ah~," Nathan sighed contentedly, breaking the silence that had settled over the trio. "Beautiful. Have you sung that do Diva?" Ibukishi looked surprised, looking up from her guitar to search Nathan's face.

"You know Diva doesn't like to listen to me sing unless she can sing along." Ibukishi stated. Riku, for the time being, seemed to be completely absorbed in whatever memories and feelings the song had stirred within him; still gazing at his stump. Nathan, bemused, shrugged.

"It suits her, don't you think? Despite all of the destruction she's caused and created, all the pain… Saya too. Despite it all, they're still innocent, especially Diva, don't you think?" Ibukishi's mismatched eyes dropped to her lap, thoughtful.

"Oh, yes, I forgot to mention. Diva really did get her wish, like we suspected. It worked first try." Nathan said, playing with a curl of his hair as he watched his queen slyly from beneath lowered lids. Both Riku and Ibukishi snapped to attention at that, Ibukishi's eyes very wide.

"You mean… you mean she's really…" Ibukishi trailed off, incredulous. Nathan smirked.

"Indeed, children. Amshel has confirmed it." Ibukishi shot up, only her incredible reflexes combined with her love of her guitar saving said guitar from crashing to the floor. She looked slightly dazed as she gently laid the guitar on the bed.

"I have to go and see her… children… then I'll be an aun- oh god, no. That makes me feel so old." Ibukishi muttered, still shell shocked. Surprisingly helpful for once, Nathan handed her a dress; a pink crimson number with black ribbon circling the neckline and hem, and black sleeves floating down to mid forearm. Blinking confusedly, Ibukishi finally seemed to shake herself from her shock.

A bright smile formed on her face as she pulled on the dress (Riku looked away. Nathan didn't, and she had to pause while semi-naked to hit him) and the smile only grew as she slipped on her white sandals.

Smoothing her hair down so it resembled hair rather than some kind of tufty grass that had been hacked into disorder by a blunt blade wielded by a drunk person, Ibukishi abruptly shifted to 'Himi', and the change was clear to see, even to Riku. She was positively beaming by this point.

"I'm going to see Diva. Oh, we must celebrate! OOH!" Suddenly Himi's voice shot up an octave as her eyes began to shine in her excitement. "Baby clothes shopping! Oh, that's so much fun!"

Ignoring Nathan's bemused comment about how she had gained her knowledge of the enjoyment of shopping for infant's clothes, she gave a startled Riku a hug and rushed out the door, pausing only to dig the delicate dagger (a copy of the one used on the ship) out of a bag.

There was a small silence as both chevaliers recovered from the whirlwind their queen had temporarily become.

"She really… cares for Diva, doesn't she?" Riku said, half to himself. Nathan smirked again, his eyes somehow seeming to see through the door both chevaliers stared at.

"Of course. After all, Ibukishi is Saya and Diva's dearest younger sister."

"Younger sister?" Riku repeated, shocked, as his wide brown eyes flashed to Nathan's still smirking face.

"Indeed. Their unknown little sister."

-n/s-

"DIVA!" Himi screamed streaking past the startled James and cannoning into her friend with shocking force that sent both girls flying further than one would have thought possible across the gleaming marble floor.

"I'm so happy for you!" Himi finally released Diva from her grip and leaned back, her arms still locked around Diva's neck. Diva looked surprised but then smiled happily at Himi.

"It took a while, but now I have my babies…" Diva whispered softly, somehow managing to manoeuvre her hands to caress her still flat stomach. Himi leaned back further and placed her hand over Diva's.

"James, go away." Himi said pleasantly. As Himi, it often frustrated her that she had created this particular persona without the foul mouth she frequently wished for when dealing with Diva's chevaliers.

James, a few paces back, stiffened at being ordered, but Diva's blue eyes met him and she nodded.

"Leave us, James." James bowed, and obeyed.

There was a small silence as both Himi and Diva simply sat, their hands over the quivering, tiny life that was growing within Diva.

"Himi." Himi looked up, but Diva refused to meet her eyes, in a manner similar to a child afraid of a scolding.

"Diva, what is it?" Himi asked, concerned, as she gently placed her palm against Diva's cheek.

"Will they… will these babies… will they love me?" Diva whispered, looking cross with herself for even asking the question. Himi's face softened further.

"Of course they will. They'll adore you. After all, who wouldn't?" Himi teased, tugging on Diva's cheek. She was rewarded by a smile.

"Oh, and the shopping we can do for them!" Himi sighed in pure ecstasy, while Diva giggled.

"My babies…" Diva smiled.

-n/s-

It was about eleven in the evening when Saya heard the noises and shot upright in bed, eyes narrowing.

"Hagi." Hagi stepped forwards out of the gloom, her sword held at the ready. Saya looked at it gravely, before her eyes returned to Hagi's ever inscrutable face. "You feel them too?"

"Yes. Saya, fight." Saya nodded, and with her next blink her eyes opened a luminescent red. Quickly, Saya pulled on the purple jacket and boots Kata had bought for her; the chiropterans were approaching the house, not the nearby village, so there was no need to go charging through the window in her camisole and shorts, to Saya's relief.

Minutes later, Hagi pulled the door open and Saya ran out, sword already coated with blood. They stood in the drive, motionless but poised for movement, as the lumbering movements and snarls of three chiropterans loomed ever closer.

After what seemed like an agonisingly long wait, the first of the beasts came up the drive, saliva dripping from their gaping maws. Saya's eyes narrowed minutely in determination, and she raised the tip of her blade.

She was about to run forwards as the second and then third chiropteran came up the drive, their eyes glowing red as they recognised the scent of the red queen's blood, when a blue and silver blur flitted across her path.

A dark shape slammed into the face of the chiropteran nearest Saya and Hagi, who had both stopped in surprise, sending the beast flying. The figure, who was of course Kata, stopped, surprised, holding her guitar case in one hand.

"Dude," she said, looking at said case in awe. "This actually works." Leaping forwards with a devilish smile, Kata proceeded to beat one of the chiropterans over the head so hard its skull cracked, and then turned with a deadly kick followed by her newfound weapon in time to send the third flying as well.

"Hagi!" Kata yelled gleefully, shocking both Hagi and Saya out of their shock, as she squashed a chiropteran's face with her case. "Remind me never to make fun of you for your coffin-cello-case-thingy again!" she shouted.

Saya and Hagi blinked and looked at each other, before with a shrug, Saya charged, Hagi following.

Of course, it was only a matter of time with the three of them; Saya caught one in the leg straight off and it crumbled as it struggled to regain its footing. Hagi studded another with daggers, giving Saya the time she needed to reload her blade and take care of it with a deadly slash to its midriff.

She turned to take care of the third, eyes glowing, but Kata had grown tired of her sport and finished the thing off; still managing to slice it into several pieces even with only one sword. As the lumps of monster at her feet began to slowly crystallize, Kata looked back with a grin.

"Now_ that_ was fun." She commented. Saya sighed and leaned her bloody sword against the wall that spanned the entire vicinity with a shake of her head. All of a sudden, as the glow from her eyes faded, a wave of intense weariness hit her.

Saya stumbled, her vision blurring, and caught herself on the wall. Breathing hard, she shut her eyes and slid down to sit, back against the wall.

"Feeling dizzy, Saya?" Kata's light sarcastic voice was answered by a small groan as Saya forced her eyes open.

"What do you want, Kata? What's up with hiding all the food? Are you trying to kill me?"

"I want you to eat." Kata answered, her voice and face equally hard. Hagi was standing, looking slightly pained, behind Kata. He would have moved forwards, but he was wary of Kata, and especially as he could feel a cold, simmering anger in the multi-coloured eyed girl's slender frame.

"But you threw out all the food!" Saya protested, now too dizzy to really focus on anything.

"No I didn't. I didn't throw Hagi out." Dizzy though she was, Saya managed to muster enough energy to direct a glare at Kata's wavering form. Unfortunately she _was_ dizzy, and thus she missed and sent the glare somewhere to the left of Kata's head. Kata smirked, her eyes hard.

"But you threw out the blood bags…" Saya whispered, even now reluctant to admit that she needed the blood. Kata's eyes narrowed.

"Damn right I did. How much longer do you expect the rest of us to spoon feed you? And I bet you're planning on running right back to the Red Shield, aren't you? Damn it, I swear I will _make _you feed properly! Hagi!" Kata growled, and then snapped, her head whipping around to face the startled man.

"Do it, or blood help me, I will." Hagi regarded Kata for a while.

Her teeth gritted. _Oh my… this goes beyond words. Jesus Christ almighty, you obviously never existed._ Kata rolled her eyes, partly destroying the terrifying effect and then straightaway refortifying it as she stalked over to Hagi and grabbed him.

To Hagi's frustration, Kata seemed completely unaffected by his efforts to get three, barely reacting as he resorted to daggers and buried one in her head; she continued to relentlessly drag him towards Saya, who was now looking quite terrified.

Forcing Hagi's head down to Saya's, she spoke with a voice that was sharp and filled with ice, and something that Saya was too tired to try and identify. Hagi though, recognised it as regret, and at that moment stopped fighting, although he made no move of his own.

"Feed." Saya began to shake her head, trembling. "Feed, fuck it. You cannot fight unless you are awake." Kata continued, her voice still hard. Saya looked pleadingly up at her friend, for despite Kata's scary demeanour and terrifying actions, Saya still felt that the girl was her friend, whether she was trying to force feed her or not.

Kata growled again, her eyes narrowing and beginning to shine as she raised the bloody sword she still held in her hands. She was about to slash it down on Hagi's neck when she stopped for a moment and contemplated the blade. Frowning with irritation, she chucked the katana carelessly aside and reached into one of the numerous pockets on her jacket (which she was once again wearing). Her hand remerged holding a small but deadly plain knife.

She then proceeded to use this to slit Hagi's throat, and then Saya's bloodlust took over. Her widened eyes were invaded by tendrils of creeping red, and her fangs slid out, gleaming in the moonlight overhead. Kata did not look away, nor slacken her grip, as Saya bit. Hagi seemed to shudder, but still Kata held the chevalier to his queen. Her hand reached out and grasped Saya's head as well, effectively locking them together until Kata chose to release them.

She felt incredibly cruel, having starved Saya for almost three weeks to ensure she drank enough, but this time Kata was determined to end it. End it, and finally attain her heart's selfish desire.

Saya drank on, so helpless to stop herself that Kata's grip was not needed. As Hagi's blood spread through her, it brought with it a tide of memories mysteriously awakened by the blood of her chevalier.

-flashback-

The flames roared across the dusty horizon, reflected in her unseeing eyes, once a bright blood red, and now a duller brown, although the red lurked beneath the surface. Saya sniffed, but the only chiropterans she could sense were dead, and fast becoming charcoal without the aid of her blood.

Satisfied, she turned and walked away from the burning warehouse, towards Hagi. She silently handed him her sword, and he took it with singed, but fast healing, hands.

They had barely made it out of the warehouse alive, and both were slightly burnt. Saya sighed, and was about to continue past Hagi when a resounding shatter of glass and her whirling around to face the burning building once more.

A dark speck leaped from the flames and into the clean air, before landing on the red hot metal and running along the roof. Saya narrowed her eyes, the glow returning to them as she held out her hand for her sword. Hagi handed it to her and drew several daggers. The presence was chiropteran, though it was somehow different from any other they had encountered. Hagi's eyes narrowed minutely as the dark figure made its way towards them, becoming clearer the closer it got, revealing itself to be humanoid, and then female.

Finally, the girl stopped her bounding run and ground to a halt in front of the pair, two braids swinging around her face, which was stained with a mixture of soot and blood. Breathing hard to cleanse her lungs from the smoke, the girl, whose physical appearance couldn't have been any older than Saya's, simply regarded Saya and Hagi through her oddly different coloured eyes.

Saya noted the oddity , as well as the sword the girl had clutched in her right hand, but did not react, her own sword still held battle ready in front of her.

"Bloody hell." The girl said finally, breaking the silence. Seemingly completely undaunted by the fact that she had two dangerous beasts crouched in front of her ready to attack, she dropped the sword she was holding and reached for the ends of her hair, which were similarly singed like Saya's and Hagi's.

"Aw fuck. This isn't really mentioned as a drawback of long hair, huh?" the girl commented, seemingly to Saya, jokingly. Saya frowned in confusion.

"What…?" the girl glanced up.

"Oh! Sorry, I'm kind of vain so… anyway, I'm Kata. Katana Ibukishi, but please call me Kata. If you call me Katana I will use your hamstrings as hair ties." Kata announced sweetly. "You're Saya and Hagi, right? I trust you didn't plan on blowing the warehouse up, because that was most definitely the worst escape plan you've ever come up with." Kata said calmly, picking up her katana and stuffing it into the case she had slung over one shoulder.

Similarly to Saya, she wore simple, unassuming clothing that was easy to move in, combat boots and a long, dark coat.

Her similarities to Saya did not stop there; they were far from being the exact mirror image, but they definitely looked related. Saya did not lower her guard, and Hagi followed suit.

"Who are you?" Saya asked bluntly. Kata looked exasperated.

"I _told_ you already. Katana Ibukishi. I am a chiropteran, like you and Hagi dearest. I've been observing you for a couple of months now, to make sure I liked you, and I do, so now I'm saying hello." Kata explained matter-of-factly.

"You were stalking us?" Saya asked, irritated anger flaring in her eyes. Kata looked put out.

"I do not _stalk_." She said in an incredibly dignified manner. "I _observe_." She sniffed, before trying (and failing) to wipe the soot from her cheek with a grin.

"I want to join your side."

"You what?" Saya asked, her sword dropping with her shock, as the battle glow faded from her eyes.

"I want to join your side in this war. I'm a chiropteran aren't I? So I'm part of it, right? I want to join your side." Kata said diplomatically, as a dust laced wind blew the dark hair of all three across their faces.

"You… are you a chevalier of Diva's?" Kata snorted.

"Not bloody likely. I'm more of a… I don't know. I don't really remember much. I woke up about three years ago with practically no memories other than how to feed myself and fight." Kata shrugged. "It didn't take long for me to find out about this war, so I have _observed_, and I like your side, so I want to fight with you. After all, I am a sword." Kata continued conversationally. Saya blinked, before warily relaxing her stance, although she did not loosen her grip on her katana's worn hilt.

"So you want to join the Red Shield." Kata looked even more put out.

"No! I most definitely do _not_ want to join them, I want to join _you_." Kata said simply. Saya and Kata gazed at each other for a long time.

There was a familiarity that Saya could not explain about this girl that she could not place. But it was there, along with a feeling of trust; this girl was no mindless dreamer hoping for glory. Her face and sword were battle worn; she knew what this war was. She was experienced, and Saya knew not to take her apparent age of about fifteen for the truth.

"All right, 'sword'." Saya said at last, ignoring Kata's glower. "I'll give you a chance."

"Thank you so much." Kata said. The sarcasm was not lost on any of them.

-end flashback-

"Jesus. Only you would faint from that. Is drinking blood from Hagi so enjoyable?" Kata's amused voice greeted Saya as her eyes flickered open. Cautiously, she sat up, taking a moment to work out where she was in her long stream of memories. Kata was silent for this; recognising the process.

"Kata." Kata sobered, the smile fading from her face as she recognised Saya's tone. She was fully awake at last.

"Yes."

"Thank you for waking me."

"My pleasure." Kata said dryly, breaking from the rather formal exchange.

"Where's Hagi?" Saya asked, but before Kata had even opened her mouth to answer Hagi stepped forwards, standing by the bed looking sorrowful and apologetic.

"Saya. I am sorry for-" Saya interrupted him with a shake of her head.

"You don't need to be sorry. I am the one who is sorry. For… for so many things." Saya's eyes found Hagi's bandaged hand, but she didn't say anything.

"Well. This is cheerful." Kata sighed. Saya's eyes, now less brown than they had previously been, flickered to her friends face.

"I dreamt about… well, I dreamt about most things, but I just dreamt about the first time I met you, Kata." Kata grinned.

"Ah yes. I do believe we had all just narrowly escaped being burnt alive." Kata said cheerfully, and Saya chuckled. The smile did not last long though, and she gazed unseeingly at her lap.

"So we have separated from the Red Shield… which has broken anyway." Saya said softly. Kata let out a very loud snort.

"Jesus. Please tell me we're not going back?" Kata said hopefully. Saya's fists clenched.

"No." She confirmed. "We're not going back." Hagi met her gaze, already accepting of her decision. Kata looked relieved.

"Oh good. I'm pretty sure they were at the point of trying to kill me. Again." She muttered to herself, but Saya only half heard her. Her fists unclenched and then clenched again, her nails digging into her palms.

"I… I will not lose any more comrades." She said quietly, but determinedly. Kata stopped muttering to herself and surveyed Saya's grave face, feeling a slight pang, as Hagi did, when she saw that it was closed; no longer the open smiling face it had been so long ago in Okinawa. "Hagi." Saya looked up, and Hagi knelt by her bed side.

"I know this is unfair to you, but… will you help me?"

"If that is what you wish, then I will always be by your side, Saya." Kata had to physically resist the urge to gag; putting her hands over her mouth and struggling. Saya looked up, unaware of Kata's 'battle', and gazed unseeingly across the room.

"This is my war." Kata rolled her eyes.

"Uh uh. _Our_ war, honey. You don't get one all to yourself."

* * *

**I'm so sorry this took so long! I had exams, and then stuff caught up with me, and then this is a really really REALLY long chapter (It's 21 pages!)**

**so apologies for taking so long, but it is a nice long chappie to make up for it, and hopefully I'll be quicker with the next one. **

**please review! XD**


	17. Chapter 16: The Ginger Brat's Graduation

**Chapter 16 - The Ginger Brat's Graduation**

"I _told_ you it would be shit weather." Kata complained petulantly as they ducked into a doorway to avoid the rain. Shaking her head like a dog to rid her hair of the rainwater, Kata proceeded to casually pop yet another pocky in her mouth. She offered one to Saya, but Saya declined. With a shrug, Kata put another one between her lips, so she had two lodged there like cigars.

"Yes, you did." Saya said absentmindedly, reaching up to ring out the fringe of her own hair.

"It's always like this in England. Why would anyone want to live here? Seriously. It rains _all the bloody time!_ Well, actually, that's a complete lie; the last time I was here it just drizzled." Kata continued.

"Now if you hadn't run off, Hagi dearest, then I wouldn't have had to even come here!" Kata moaned, catching her companions' attention.

"What… Hagi ran off?" Saya repeated, confused, as her eyes flickered to Hagi's face, which was looking just as puzzled.

"Yes! After the Vietnam War incident he took off like a rabbit!" Kata said crossly, now looking at Hagi. "I mean, honestly, I spent at least thirty bloody years just _looking _for you! And then I find you with Saya." Kata berated him.

Saya tuned out their bickering - which was actually normally rather interesting to listen to, as Hagi defended himself against Kata's sharp tongue with emotionless rebuttals, and the pair often resorted to blows. To Saya's dismay, when they weren't fighting chiropterans, it was rather like having two children tagging along with her. Entertaining at first, it was now just an everyday irritation. She gazed sightlessly out of their small doorway, her senses idly open and scanning.

The rain had stopped, but water was still sluicing down the pavement and walls of the buildings, swirling its way down gutters and drainpipes in eddies. The pattern was mesmerising to Saya, and she gazed at it for what seemed like forever while Kata and Hagi continued to bicker, losing all sense of time as she stared into the swirling vortex of dirty rainwater.

All of a sudden, her head snapped up, and Hagi and Kata quietened instantly.

"Chiropterans." Saya said grimly. Kata and Hagi looked equally serious as the trio stepped out into the street once more, now with the steady, careful tread of hunters, but Kata had a gleam of excitement in her eyes as she finished off her pocky.

It had been about a year since the collapse of the Red Shield, and Kata, Hagi and Saya had been methodically hunting the beasts for most of that time. While it took a little while to get the hang of fighting without the aid of the Red Shield, the Red Shield were not as old as Saya and Hagi; they had been fighting for much longer.

Kata had returned to her double bladed baton-swords, much to her delight, and with her memories Saya's fighting had much improved, also much to Kata's delight. Both Saya and Kata's hair had grown slightly longer; Saya's now brushing her chin, while Kata's, which had always been longer, now fell to her shoulders in a spray of tangles.

There were other changes which were not so easy to see, especially to Saya. Previously a brave girl, fighting for her family and all which she loved, she was once more a warrior, bent on revenge. She rarely smiled, though of course Kata had a talent for that kind of thing and frequently made her laugh, never mind smile.

Now, as they moved, they fell into a synced step with an easy rhythm; Saya at the forefront of their triangle, sword in hand, Kata behind her and then Hagi even further back. The night was drawing in, and the dark clouds above had not completely moved on. Dusky shadows hugged the corners as the three honed in on the all too familiar presence of chiropterans.

Suddenly, gun shots rang out across the dead street. Saya wasn't aware, and she wouldn't have particularly cared either way, but a curfew had recently been enforced on the London streets, due to 'terrorist' activities.

_Terrorist my arse. Somebody higher up is aware of the chiropteran situation, there's no two ways about it… question is, how the hell are Amshel and the rest caught up in this? This has Amshel written all over it… Oh well. I'll investigate that later. Such a shame Saya takes no interest in these things. _Kata frowned as they moved around the corner, their pace picking up as the gun shots sounded again. _It's all Diva, Diva, Diva, Diva, Diva, huh? _

Snapping back to the present, a scent hit her nostrils. Snorting in disgust, Kata ground to a halt, Saya and Hagi stopping with her as she continued to snort.

"Kata, what?" Saya asked, her voice sharp as she felt the presence of two chiropterans, as well as the scent of two humans. There was something familiar about them, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"It's the ginger brat. And the fat-guy." Kata said unhappily. Saya's eyes widened.

"Kai? And Lewis?" She said, her head snapping around, nostrils flaring. "You're right… What are they doing here?" Saya frowned, and Kata snorted yet again.

"Probably fighting chiropterans, the idiots." Kata retorted, seething. _Ugh. Just when we were finally rid of them, too. I thought Saya and Hagi might _finally_ get a bloody move on, but no, there's been nothing. No. Romantic. Stuff. At. All. HOW! That is some serious self control Hagi's got there._

Kata blinked herself back to the present to see Saya fighting an internal struggle.

"Saya." Kata said flatly, struggling herself to keep her sudden anger from surfacing. "Why are you debating? We have to go in there, we have no choice. They're gonna die if we don't." Kata said.

"I thought you hated Kai? And the Red Shield." Kata's eyes momentarily widened.

"That doesn't mean I want them to bloody die." Kata said, her eyes narrowing as an unnatural gleam surfaced. She began to stalk determinedly past her friend, but Saya hurried to catch up with her, sword clenched in hand, eyes straight ahead.

Kata took the faint, embarrassed blush spreading across Saya's cheek as an apology, and smirked, before falling into step behind her, Hagi also moving so they were once again in formation.

The trio, mainly due to Kata's insistence that 'it'd be awesome and she'd always wanted to try it', had various attack formations, mainly to do with the order in which the attacks were made, rather than any specific moves.

This time, they instinctively knew it would be Hagi, and he moved forwards as they rounded the alley, still shrouded in fog. Not enough fog, however to hide the bulky shapes and glowing yellow eyes of three chiropterans.

Saya came to a halt, Kata behind her, as Hagi ran forwards. As Kata unsheathed her swords, already laced with her blood, both girls could make out the forms of two men; one considerably larger than the other, shooting at the monsters desperately.

All shooting stopped, however, when Hagi made his move, swinging his cello case down onto one of the beasts, preventing it from slashing and killing Lewis. There was an eerie silence, as the beasts eyes turned red and they began to howl.

Kata and Saya shared a glance, before Saya stepped forwards, blade at the ready.

Kai had grown, Kata noted, as the smog cleared slightly, as if drawing back from the beasts haunting the streets. Kata hung back, in the shadows, as Saya attacked. She kept one eye on her friend and half-noticed Hagi retrieve his case, but most of her attention was focused on Kai, and Lewis.

"S…Saya." Kai mumbled, lowering his gun as he recognised his 'sister'. Kata snorted, quietly, as Saya ran forwards and quickly took care of one chiropteran in a spray of blood. Kata relaxed her stance, her swords still out, but hanging loosely in her hands.

Oddly enough, neither Hagi nor Kata moved when one of the chiropterans managed to escape Saya. Saya glowered at its retreating silhouette, before straightening, her eyes still glowing.

Still ignoring the shell-shocked Kai and Lewis, Saya whirled around, her gaze fastening accusingly on Kata. Kata's expression soured and she revealed herself to the other men by stepping forwards out of the mist. Hagi followed, and Saya walked towards them until they met underneath a streetlamp; it's orange light fuzzy from the smog.

"Kata. Go after it." Saya snapped, her mind still on fighting and not allowing any room for politeness. Not that Kata particularly cared about that.

"What's the magic word?" Saya looked slightly startled, before she sighed and frowned.

"Please?" Kata nodded, a satisfied grin on her face.

"That's more like it." Nodding to herself, she took three leaping bounds along the street. Pausing briefly to flash Kai and Lewis a greeting smile, she flashed onto the roof of the abandoned building, tracking the chiropteran confidently; following the burning blood red trail the beast left in its wake.

-n/s-

It didn't take Kata long to locate the chiropteran; it was not exactly the sharpest knife in the draw, even amongst other beasts like it, and it predictably headed straight for the sewers. Nose wrinkling with disgust, Kata managed to intercept it before it managed to get down the manhole.

Kata would put up with a lot of things, but snow, sewers and a lack of pocky were just not tolerable, no matter how hard she tried.

Not that she tried very hard.

The chiropteran, sensing the difference in Kata's presence, had paused, its nostrils flaring.

A grin curved Kata's lips upwards, and she held her swords up defensively, gripping them tight. The almost invisible hollow spikes in the handles dug into her palms with a familiar bite, drawing her precious blood along their hollow interiors and out into the grooves of her blades.

A few seconds of whirlwind slashes, and the chiropteran was on the floor in more pieces one would have thought possible. Kata tried to restrain herself from dicing chiropterans too much when she fought with Saya; but sometimes the urge was overwhelming and she had to give in. It was how she had been trained to fight; her blood worked slowly and it could take up to ten minutes for a chiropteran to fully crystallize and die, so by cutting it into tiny pieces its death was ensured.

As the tiny chunks, about the size of a man's clenched fist, began to crystallize, Kata straightened and sheathed one sword. With a whirl, she threw the other one like a deadly javelin and it embedded itself in the wall, just left of Nathan's head.

Nathan did an extremely bizarre jumpy movement, before he beamed at Kata, who was looking even grumpier.

"See? You're warming to me!" He grinned, holding his arms out as if he expected her to come running into his arms declaring undying love.

Kata didn't move.

"Um… _warming_ to you? I just tried to spear your head." Kata said blankly, as Nathan tugged on her blade to try and dislodge it from the wall without bringing said wall crashing down on them both.

"Yes, but the last time I met you when you were armed you actually _did_ spear my head, so I am taking this as an improvement." Nathan answered jovially as he finally managed to get Kata's sword out of the wall.

He offered it to her politely, but although he was met with an intensely suspicious look she took it without a word; slipping it back into her thigh brace with practiced ease.

"So what are you doing here? Where's Riku?" Kata asked.

"Oh, Riku's just around the corner!" Nathan exclaimed, sounding suspiciously like he'd forgotten the boy's existence, "RIKU!" He yelled, and Riku edged nervously around the corner. Upon seeing Kata unarmed, he relaxed and hurried forwards. "I told him it would be safer if he waited there." Nathan announced cheerfully, completely ignoring Kata's death glare.

"Hey Riku." Kata rolled her eyes at Nathan. "This idiot didn't mentally scar you or anything did he?" Riku looked startled, and then slightly bemused.

"Uh… I lived with Saya for a year."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot." Kata looked solemn as she contemplated this. "Yeah, that would do it."

"Indeed. Have you seen how much that girl _eats_?" Nathan said with a particularly unmanly shudder. Kata rolled her eyes.

"It's just her body's instincts trying to make up for the lack of blood, you turd."

"Oh! Turd! What a naughty word! Riku, cover your ears! Where did you learn _that_ one, my little princess?" Nathan cried dramatically. Kata stared at him incredulously for almost a full minute.

"Fucktard." Nathan slammed into the wall barely a second later, smiling dizzily and working on his steadily growing speech about the mistreatment and abuse of chevaliers in his head while he sat up and tried to pick out the plaster dust from his hair.

Riku jumped nervously and began to edge away as Kata shot him a blinding smile.

"Riku?" Kata smiled sweetly, and sweat beaded on Riku's forehead.

"Yes?"

"Promise me you'll try your hardest to never _ever_ turn out like that idiot." Kata still had the disarmingly sickly sweet smile plastered to her face. Riku gulped, his eyes nervously flickering towards his fellow chevalier and, lately, friend of a sort, who was embedded several feet in the wall.

"Uh... yes. Promise." He squeaked. Kata smiled genuinely, before her face slipped into a weary, grave look. There was a small silence punctuated only by the sound of Nathan whining girlishly to himself as he moved bricks around to free himself.

Kata frowned as Nathan, still covered in plaster dust. Joined them once more, looking slightly surly. However she ignored him, and turned to Riku once more.

"Riku, I don't suppose you lead those chiropterans to Kai because you knew Saya was here, did you?" Her eyes suddenly sly and crafty. Riku looked a little guilty, but not ashamed. He shrugged, and Kata's eyes narrowed.

Suddenly though, she burst out laughing and caught Riku, who was only about a head shorter than her, in a friendly embrace. She ruffled his hair, still laughing.

"You scheming little teenager!" she laughed, and he grinned back.

"Saya was just so much happier with Kai… and he still believes she'll come back. I'm just helping them out." Riku protested. Kata laughed again, and released him from her headlock.

"I can't believe the words are coming out of my mouth, but yeah, Kai was good for Saya. Ugh," Kata shuddered. "Don't make me say it again." Riku laughed, and Nathan smiled; they were like siblings, a little brother and his older sister. Or, to be respectful to his queen, an older sister and her little brother.

To an outsider, that is what they would have looked like; not an ancient queen and her two chevaliers. Just siblings, Nathan maybe an uncle or cousin. It was a sobering thought to Nathan, but it didn't really stay in his thoughts for long.

"Well, have you thought what we're going to do with him?" Kata looked up, confused, and Riku followed her gaze.

"What?" Nathan rolled his eyes and began to fiddle with his hair.

"Riku can't stay in a hotel room forever, and we can't let him outside by himself at the moment, he's still too attached to those humans. He came close to revealing himself to his brother tonight, and if it weren't for me he would have. But neither of us can stay with him all the time. I have Diva to attend to, as well as Amshel breathing down my neck, and you have to be with Saya and Diva." Nathan said, slightly exasperated.

Riku looked down, a little ashamed, but Kata just ruffled his hair absentmindedly as she contemplated the problem.

"Oh. Yeah." Kata frowned, before looking crafty.

"I know. I have a plan, and if all goes well, Riku won't have nothing to do much longer." Kata beamed at them, and both chevaliers felt afraid, so devious was her expression.

-n/s-

"Himi, are you listening to me?" Diva queried, sounding puzzled by her friends unusual lack of attention. Himi finished the buttons on Diva's sleeves absentmindedly.

"Hm? Oh, sorry Diva. I was just a little preoccupied. Now, twirl!" Himi smiled, clapping her hands together. Diva beamed, the slight already forgotten as she did as Himi asked.

Diva was, for possibly the first time ever, not wearing a dress, but rather a feminine sailor suit type outfit, decorated with her traditional blue rose which complimented the blue and white of her clothes. Her shoes were brown, and her socks pulled up, and all in all she looked absolutely adorable, but Himi frowned, dissatisfied.

"Diva! You look lovely, but change, please." Himi said, mockingly stern. Diva giggled and gave another twirl, her long hair swishing out behind her. Himi smiled endearingly as Diva turned to face her once more, her eyes the same constant blue.

"There. What do you think? Don't you think it's just lovely?" Diva giggled exultantly, running her hands unabashedly down her body, now shaped like a young boy's.

"Riku was very cute, but you make him look beautiful." Himi teased, reaching down to pull her own socks up, for, of course, Diva had insisted that Himi wear a sailor's outfit too. It was all Himi could do to persuade Diva to allow her to have it in a much darker blue; Diva had been going for the matching combo.

"Riku? Oh, yes, that was his name wasn't it?" Diva said, sounding vaguely curious as she flashed forwards to entwine her arms around Himi's neck. The girls shared a smile, before Himi tossed her head, shortening her own hair as she did so.

Diva laughed once more; gleeful that Himi had instinctively known what she wanted. She turned so that they were standing side by side, both facing the large mirror that covered the entire wall.

Two beautiful Asian girls stared back, both dressed in sailor suits that were identical in every way apart from the shades of blue, and the fact that one had a blue rose fastened beneath her chin, and the other a white. Their hair fell in a similarly messy-but-cute kind of way; similar but not the same. Their skin was the same pale, translucent porcelain, their eyes the same shape. The main differences were the basic shape of their faces, for Diva looked like Riku, and the colour of their eyes.

Diva's intensely crystal azure eyes gazed steadily at the reflection, while Himi's eyes contrasted. The one red and one blue seemed even more contrasting compared to Diva's matching perfection; at first glance you noticed the blue for being the same as Diva's, and then the red for being different.

"Himi, would you sing for me?" The mismatched eyes widened, and flickered to her companion's face.

"What?"

"Nathan told me that I would like your singing if you sang to me." Diva said blithely. Kata furiously counselled herself against storming off to kill her stupid chevalier right there and then.

"He… did, did he?" Himi's voice came out slightly strangled as she struggled to remain neutral, but Diva didn't appear to notice.

"Yes. Would you, darling?" Himi turned and met her eyes. Then she smiled.

"Oh, alright. But we must sit down somewhere charming." Himi said firmly, but Diva agreed with her and dragged her friend out of the dressing room, through the manor and outside, before settling in the garden; wide and green with a pavilion of ruins artfully decorated with vines of blue roses.

Even Himi had to admit that Nathan had nice taste, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

She closed her eyes and let the breeze wash over her. Diva tugged impatiently on her sleeve, but said nothing. Himi at last opened her eyes, still at loss as to what to sing.

"What do you want me to sing, Diva?" Himi asked helplessly. Diva thought for a moment, before one hand began to almost unconsciously stroke her barely rounded stomach.

"The song you'll sing for my babies." Diva said, looking up with a surprisingly gentle smile. Himi's own expression softened in return, and she closed her mismatched eyes once more.

_Your little hands wrapped around my fingers_

_And it's so quiet in the world tonight_

_Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming_

_So I tuck you in, turn on your favourite night light_

_To you, everything is funny_

_You've got nothing to regret_

_I'd give all I have, honey_

_If you could stay like that_

_Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up_

_Don't you ever grow up_

_Just stay this little_

_Oh, darling don't you ever grow up_

_Don't you ever grow up_

_It could stay this simple_

_I won't let anybody hurt you_

_Won't let anyone break your heart_

_No, no one will desert you_

_Just try to never grow up_

_Never grow up_

Diva was silent for a long time after Himi's soft voice had ceased, and she felt a flicker of fear that she had pushed it a little far; surely Diva could not take offence from this?

"Himi."

"Yes?"

"Would it be easier for me if I'd never grown up?" Diva's voice was soft, and almost expressionless; her eyes fixed upon the grass as if she was unaware she was even asking the question. "If I'd never grown up, then Saya wouldn't have let me out of my tower. Though I'm so very glad she did, but then she wouldn't be trying to kill me. And my babies. And because I'd be a baby, I wouldn't know what was happening, so I wouldn't realize that it was dark in that tower." Diva reasoned, her eyes still gazing fixedly at the ground.

She looked up, however, when she was literally hit with a huge hug from Himi which knocked them both to the soft grass.

Diva looked startled, but not unduly alarmed, and her blue eyes swivelled to what she could see of her friend; the back of her head of messy hair.

"Himi?" Diva suddenly felt warm wetness seeping into the shoulder where Himi's face was pressed against her blue collar.

"Himi?" Diva repeated, trying to shift and see Himi's face. "Are you crying?" Diva sounded even more puzzled, and insisted upon pulling Himi away from her so she could see her friend's tearful face.

As Diva watched, another tear fell delicately down Himi's cheek; gracefully curving down to her chin, where it hung, suspended in a bubble of light.

Mesmerised, Diva reached out, and the tear fell onto her outstretched finger, while Himi trembled. Diva held the tear up so that it caught the light, and gazed at it in wonder.

"It's beautiful." She murmured to herself. Himi sniffed sadly, but didn't say anything, and gradually her tears stopped falling. Still Diva stared, captivated by the single tear balanced on her finger. Then, abruptly, Diva put her finger to her mouth and tasted it.

Himi blinked, while Diva looked, if anything, even more surprised.

"It's salty." Himi's eyes welled up again, but she forced the tears back, and gave a half sobbing chuckle.

"Yes."

"Himi." Diva said, looking up at Himi intensely.

"Yes?"

"What's a nightlight?" Himi giggled for real, and told her. Diva thought about this for a moment, before she smiled radiantly.

"I want one. A purple one, and a pink one, and a red one, and a yellow one, and a blue one, and-"

"Why don't you get one that changes colour?" Himi asked, laughing, as she wiped the last of her tears away. Diva's eyes widened.

"You can get ones that change colour?" Diva asked breathlessly, her eyes shining with sudden excitement. Himi laughed again.

"Yes. They go through all the colours of the rainbow." Himi smiled. Diva smiled back, and then looked thoughtful.

"Himi?"

"Yes?"

"Will you sing that for my babies?" Himi's face softened once more.

"Of course, Diva. You can sing it with me." She said softly, but her eyes reflected more pain than Diva could understand; a pain so deep and understanding that it boggled Diva's mind to see it.

-n/s-

"HELLOOOO! Ah, I found you!" Nathan exclaimed, coming out of the back door of his white English mansion and spying Himi leaning against a pillar in the garden nonchalantly; toes turned in and her unseeing mismatched eyes far away.

They focused, however, as soon as Nathan got close, and he readied himself for some violent action. But none came; his queen merely blinked a few times.

"You… told Diva about my singing." Himi said, but her voice was listless, and Nathan could tell her heart wasn't really in the berating.

"Yes." He said cautiously, wary of this new mood. There was a small silence, and Nathan was pondering what to say when Himi spoke once more, a hint of 'Ibukishi' creeping into her voice.

"She… Diva, she didn't know that tears were salty." Himi said quietly, her voice expressionless while her shoulders slumped suddenly. Nathan blinked, surprised.

"Well." He said, puzzling over it, "Why would she? I don't think she has ever cried." Nathan said lightly, but not jokingly, and Himi shut her eyes against a wave of pain.

Silence reigned once more as Himi struggled with her tears. She was always more emotional as Himi than when she was Kata. Equally manipulative, but Himi was softer and gave more leeway to her emotions. Kata was hard; a warrior, a fighter. She didn't have time for tears.

"You must be warming to me." Nathan said, watching Himi carefully through eyes that at first glance appeared light hearted, but upon closer inspection were deadly serious. Himi glanced up, distractedly surprised.

"What?"

"You haven't tried to kill me or argued with me for almost ten minutes. And you were conscious for all of it! I think that's a record." Himi stared at him incredulously for a full minute before shaking her head in amazement. Then she grew thoughtful, but didn't make any move to try and hurt her chevalier.

"I didn't try to kill you when you woke me up." She said suddenly, triumphant. Then it was Nathan's turn to look surprised, before his eyes narrowed cheekily; it was now a competition.

"You were barely awake. It doesn't count." Himi glared at him childishly.

"That was almost ninety years ago, wasn't it?" Nathan said quickly, before Himi could throw a tantrum.

"Oh. Really? God, that makes me feel so old." Himi shuddered. Nathan chuckled.

"Well, I'm older." Himi looked at him suspiciously for a bit.

"Ha! So you _are_ a paedophile!" she smirked. Nathan looked comically outraged.

"What! How does being older than you make me a paedophile, exactly?" He demanded, placing his hands on his hips. Himi giggled girlishly and twirled around the column.

"Admit it, you like perving on younger people- males _and_ females!" Himi laughed. Nathan looked injured.

"Well, when you're around for a while just being interested in people of the same gender gets boring." He muttered peevishly, but of course Himi heard him. Giggling, she suddenly appeared in front of him, holding the lapels of his purple shirt so that he was forced to bend down to her level and look her directly in the eyes.

She smiled angelically, and Nathan felt a bit scared. However, his head did not go flying (it wouldn't have been the first time); instead, she disappeared, leaving him with one perplexing word.

"Thank you." She whispered, and then she was gone before Nathan had even registered the fact that she had spoken, never mind the actual words. He straightened and rubbed his neck.

"Well, well, well. This is getting interesting." His lips curved into a devilish grin.

-n/s-

_Oh, that's too funny. Oh, god. My sides hurt, but I can't stop laughing! _Kata gasped for air, clutching her sides. She was once again on a roof, pocky held in hand as she laughed her socks off. Or laughed her guts out, which was what it felt like as Kata struggled to breathe.

Finally, she managed it, and gulped in the air; her pants still interrupted by short spasms of silent laughter. Down on the ground below the sloping tiled roof where Kata was in hysterics, an old man, carrying a basket of vegetables with two small children and a dog by his feet who went by the name of Gray. What Kata found so hysterically hilarious was the fact that Saya was one of the most fearsome warriors on the face of the planet with the ability to kill not just humans but also monsters, most of whom were helpless when faced with her, and yet this stubbornly kindly old man had managed to persuade her to stay for breakfast.

Where Kai _and_ Hagi had failed, this funny ex-military man had succeeded in making Saya stay for a little longer. And to Kata, that was hilarious.

As Saya was led back inside for pancakes, Kata, who had now regained the ability to breathe, wiped the tears from her eyes and stuck her pocky back in her mouth.

Kata could have gone in to join Saya and Hagi, completely freak out everybody else, scare the little kids, tease Monique and poke fun at David, but she decided to stay where she was in the sun. Besides, she wasn't very hungry, and she had a large supply of pocky.

So content was Kata with the situation, she soon fell asleep in the sun, a pocky still hanging from her mouth, while Gray skilfully manipulated both Kai and Saya to get them to talk with each other.

It was while they were collecting eggs that Kata woke up. Both Hagi and Saya in their various places around the farm stiffened at the unmistakable scent; chiropteran.

Kata woke with a jolt, her pocky falling from her mouth in a trail of chocolate-y saliva. It would have been quite comical had anyone been there to see it, but Kata was instantly on her feet, dribble wiped from her mouth and all senses alert.

Looking down, her teeth gritted, and she turned and ran up and over the peak of the roof.

The chiropteran had already reached the house, and Kata knew better than to attack it when it was half way through a door way. She could feel both Saya and Hagi speeding towards the house, and she was content to wait for them; simply listening for signs of any immediate danger.

"Tch. Gunshots. Of course." Kata shook her head, irritated, before her expression tightened as a scream wrought its way through the otherwise still summer air. Still frowning, Kata swung herself down, one hand on the drainpipe and the other grasping a sword, ready for battle.

-n/s-

Monique cowered, terrified, as the monster muzzled the sheets where Saya had been lying mere hours before. The drool hanging from its mouth intensified as it found the scent it had been following. Monique let out a small whimper, unable to prevent herself, and the monster's ugly head turned towards her.

"Monique! Get down!" Monique obeyed, throwing herself to the floor on Kai's command as he aimed and shot. The chiropteran swivelled to face his pesky fly of an attacker, and Kai gritted his teeth as he prepared to shoot his last bullet; the one that would set the others off in an explosion that would hopefully immobilize the monster until Saya arrived.

At that precise moment however, there was a shattering of glass and a small dark shape flew through the window. Kai caught a glimpse of dark hair, and frowned for a moment, before he recognised that the figure was not his sister. His frown deepened, and his grip on the gun slackened slightly.

The chiropteran, sensing Kai's lapse in concentration, lunged forwards, but there was a blue blur and the chiropteran's claws connected with metal, rather than Kai's distracted face. Kai gave a gasp, and moved backwards, as he realized the figure fending off the beast with a grimy face and grin was Kata.

"Get back!" She yelled, and Kai's steps became more hurried. He was soon out of the way, and Kata flashed to stand in front of him. Now only Monique was in the bedroom; the chiropteran, enraged, followed the pair out onto the landing, just as David came up the stairs, a gun in his hand.

Kai's eyes widened to see the man, normally so lost in alcohol he could barely stand, gripping a weapon and preparing to fight. Kata however, betrayed no emotion, her mismatched eyes fixed on the beast in front of her.

"Shoot it!" Kata shouted, and David obliged, though whether it was in response to Kata's order or due to his own agenda was unclear.

Whichever, it worked to Kata's advantage; as the chiropteran was distracted by the bullets shot by David into its torso, Kata saw an opportunity. She flashed forwards once more, her sword held at the ready, coated in blood.

Her blade sank through the chiropteran's arm, grinding to a halt as it hit the bone. The monster roared, and Kata gritted her teeth, her other hand flinching towards her other blade; still securely fastened into her thigh brace.

"Damn." She muttered, as the chiropteran swung to face her. Her grip on her sword was nearly dislodged as it tried to shake her free, but the sword didn't move; still embedded in the chiropteran's ghastly appendage, dripping dark, thick blood. Another roar and the beast swung at Kata, who had nothing but her own limbs to defend herself with; there was not enough time for her to draw her other sword without revealing strengths and speeds that only Himi could use.

Her teeth gritted again as three of the chiropteran's claws penetrated the leather of her jacket and then her delicate skin. There was an audible crunch and a spray of blood as Kata's arm broke into several messy, barely attached pieces, but she did not really react, other than a slight narrowing of her eyes.

Said eyes immediately flickered to the open front door, visible through the railings, and as Kai followed her gaze he saw Saya arrive and take in the scene; Kata holding off the chiropteran, her arm crushed in its deadly embrace, and one of Kata's swords embedded in the beast's arm, which meant her blood was in the beast's system. It was just too slow.

Saya's eyes narrowed and she turned towards the kitchen where she had left her own katana.

"Wait! Saya!" Kata cried, sudden pain flaring in her eyes as the beast tightened its grip. There was another audible crunching noise, and more blood sprayed. Saya stopped and looked up, anxiety written across her face as both David and Kai desperately shot at the chiropteran in a futile attempt to distract it from Kata.

Kata let go of the blade that was lodged in the chiropteran's arm, and reached for her other. Saya understood immediately, and took a step back before launching herself forwards. Both David and Kai watched in amazement as Saya vaulted the railing with one hand, her other reaching out in perfect harmony to grasp Kata's unusual double ended blade.

Saya, using her momentum to push herself up onto the chiropteran's back, did not even blink as the spikes of Kata's sword handle fed her blood into the blade, and with one easy slice, she struck the blade into the chiropteran's heart.

Now with both Kata and Saya's blood speeding through its system, the chiropteran gave a shudder as stone and cracks began to spider out from the place where Saya had stabbed it. It gave another jerking roar, and Saya flipped off its back, landing in front of it with Kata's blade in her hand.

As the chiropteran collapsed, its grip tightened with its last death spasms and Kata gave an involuntary gasp of pain. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed her sword from Saya and sliced the chiropteran's arm off just before it crystallized.

Biting her lip, Kata proceeded to pull the claws out from her arm with several sprays of blood and nasty grinding noises, before finally the mangled remains of the beastly arm dropped the the floor.

Kata looked up to see Saya briefly examining three long, but shallow, scratches on her legs.

"Aww." Saya glanced up, seemingly stony-faced. "That is so unfair. How come I'm the one with three frickin' _holes_ in my arm while you only have a couple of scratches." Kata complained, holding up her crushed arm up, which was still dripping blood onto the otherwise normal wood of the landing. Monique flinched again as several large drops splattered.

Saya stared at Kata, who was simply looking pissed rather than pained.

"_And_ my jacket's messed up. Again. Do you have any idea how much these cost?" Kata moaned. Saya rolled her eyes and turned to leave quickly, and Kata knew she was holding back a smile. Saya didn't see Kai's hurt look that she showed more attention to Kata than to him, and he didn't see her smile.

Saya walked down the stairs to meet Gray, who was just coming from the kitchen with her katana.

"Did you need this? Sorry, it had fallen down the gap between the cupboard and the wall." Gray explained, shaken but steady, his experiances as a soldier protecting his mind from too bad a shock. Hagi pushed the door open, revealing himself; waiting patiently on the sidelines. Saya paused to take her blade from Gray, and then made to go past him and out the door, ignoring everyone else's shock and Kata; who was still standing on the landing complaining about the state of her sleeve.

"Wait, we can't let you go until we've tended to your wounds…" Gray protested, and then trailed off, eyes wide, as Saya touched her leg and her cuts healed; leaving behind the small trail of blood even as its source disappeared.

Saya looked slightly pained.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, before she side-stepped the shocked old man and passed through the front door, sparing a look for Hagi. She didn't bother with Kata, simply leaving the girl to her own devices.

The silence continued, exempting Kata's whining, long after Saya and Hagi had passed out of sight.

"And even if I could find the money to buy a new one, what am I going to do with this? I can't throw it out, that's a waste of leather, but I can't really pass it on either. Even if I could clean it, and-" Kata continued, a highly amused expression on her face, before finally Kai got sick of it.

"Kata!" Kata ground to a halt, looking irritated.

"What, ginger brat? Oh no, wait, I can't call you that, you're too tall. Damn." Kata rattled off this next sentence with such astounding speed that Kai had to blink a few times to process it.

Then he shook his head, exasperated, and pushed his gun back into its holster. David, unfit as he was, slid down the wall to sit down, while Monique cowered behind Kai, peering round him at Kata, whose arm was still in a bloody mangled mess.

"Kai… who… who's that?" Monique whispered, her horrified eyes still fixed on Kata's bloody arm. Kata glanced up from inspecting said arm, for of course her sharp hearing had picked up this mumbled sentence.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't really have time to introduce myself there, what with saving your arses and all." Kata said cheerfully, before she casually reached up and ripped off her other sleeve - the one that wasn't covered in blood, stray ligaments and fragments of bone. Still beaming happily, she used her whole sleeve to firmly bind her arm up, to Monique's relief, and the bloody mess disappeared beneath dark leather.

"Hey! I'm Kata, Saya's friend." Kata introduced herself, as Kai was staring at her stony-faced and didn't seem about to bother with basic formalities. Monique came out from Kai's shadow.

"Um… I'm Monique. It's nice to meet you." Kata chuckled, and nodded her head at the small blonde.

_Heh. What a cute, well mannered girl. And she obviously likes the ginger brat… How confusing. I mean, Mao obviously has problems, so I could forgive her for liking him, but Monique? She seems kind of normal…_

"Well. I must get going, or Saya may not speak to me for another few days, so cheerio!" Using her good arm to give a cheery wave, Kata vaulted over the banister, landing in front of Gray.

"Hello!" She beamed, before side-stepping him and leaving. Kai blinked, and then suddenly lurched into action; running down the stairs and after Kata.

"Wait!" Kata stopped and turned to see Kai a few feet away, panting slightly. Kata looked distinctly unimpressed, and would have put her good arm on her hip had she not been holding the other together.

"What?" Kai met her eyes with startling intensity, but she didn't flinch; her own gaze boring into his eyes.

"You... you were with Saya, this whole time?" Kata shot him a withering look, before sighing.

"Yes. That should have been obvious, even to an idiot like you." Ignoring the insult, Kai straightened and walked up the rest of the drive to stand before Kata.

"Why didn't she come back?"

"Ask her yourself." Kata retorted. Kai looked angry, and directed his gaze to the floor.

"I... I can't. She's so..."

"Fearsome?" Kata supplied in a harsh voice. Kai looked up, pain evident in his eyes.

"Yes. But she's still my sister, and-"

"Okay, look. Newsflash." Kata said, now extremely pissed off. Her mood was not helped by the fact her blood was still draining steadily through her jacket sleeve-bandage.

"Saya was, briefly, your sister. But she is no longer that person. Do you have any idea how long she's been alive? Her life consists of more than a couple of years spent with _you_. Secondly," Kata continued, ignoring Kai's surprised face. "Let's be honest, you don't really see her as a _sister_ any more, now do you? After seeing her being that brave? After watching her fight for you? You like her, and when I say like, I mean _like_." Kai swallowed, but didn't protest or contradict, and Kata looked triumphant.

"See? And thirdly, I get that you like Saya, but trust me when I say it's not gonna happen." Kai frowned.

"Wha- How do you know?" Kata gave him an unreadable look.

"Honey, if you're lucky you'll live, what? Maybe eighty years more? She's _bloody immortal_, so even if she wasn't trying to kill herself at the end of this, she could never be with you." Kata muttered the last part concerning Saya's suicide, but Kai caught it and his eyes widened.

"What! She's going to... what?" Kata looked up at him, her eyes calculating.

"Kill herself. That's her plan." Kata said nonchalantly, delving into her pocket for a pocky. Kai's eyes bulged.

"What! Wait, what?" Kai spluttered wordlessly as Kata ate her pocky to try and hide the amusement in her eyes.

"Yep, that's what she's planning. Kill Diva, kill the chevaliers, kill Hagi, kill me. Wipe our very existence out. It's a big thing she's trying to do there." Kata had to eat another pocky to stop herself from laughing out loud at the outraged expression on Kai's face.

"Relax, dude." Kata reached out to pat Kai's shoulder with her good hand. Kai looked down at her , shocked. It was the probably the first time Kata had consented to come within a five-metre radius of him, never mind actually touch him, and sure enough; Kata hurriedly wiped her hand on her thigh, a disgusted expression on her face.

"Ew. Touched a ginger." She wrinkled her nose, before Kai rolled his eyes and interrupted.

"What do you mean, relax?" He exclaimed, his bemused expression turning angry. Kata smirked at him.

"You _really_ think I'm gonna let that happen?" Kata said, and despite her smirk, her voice was serious, a fact that was evident to Kai, who looked solemn.

"Well, I'm gonna help." Kata looked sour, before shaking her head.

"Fine, fine, whatever. She's just not allowed to die, she owes me. I mean, all those favours I've done for her? Never been paid back." Kata looked comically shocked, while Kai stared, incredulous.

"But anyway. We come to an understanding, then? Ginger brat." Kai frowned; looking at Kata's outstretched hand, still vaguely bloody from clutching her mangled arm, with a wary expression.

"Ginger _brat_? I thought you said I was too tall?" He asked jovially, reaching out to shake her hand. Kata grinned.

"Fine then; how about this? I hereby announce you to be called 'ginger-ninja'. How's that sound?" If Kai's expression was anything to go by, the name hadn't exactly gone down well.

"Oh, alright. What about… Oooh!" Kai blanched. "I know! You have now graduated from 'ginger brat' to 'ginger-bread man'!" She said enthusiastically. Kai blanched again. "It's cool, right?"

Kata surveyed Kai's unimpressed expression for a bit.

"Well, it's that or 'ginger bastard.'" She shrugged. "I'll just see which one I like better. Or if I come up with something new." She gave a cheery grin and a little wave, before she disappeared.

* * *

**Hello! I'm so, so, so sorry it took so long, I had a bit of a writer's block/time thing going on, but I'm still really sorry and I'll try to make it up to all you lovely people who read and review this!**

**Okay, question = what should Kata call Kai from now on? One of the ones suggested, a whole new one that you randomly think of, whatever, let me know in a review pretty please because I have no idea! XD**


	18. Chapter 17 : Secrets of Chevalier

**Chapter 17 - Secrets of Chevalier**

"Oh, oh, oh. What have you gone and done now?" Nathan tutted, and heaved his queen up a little rougher than was strictly necessary; Ibukishi, still wearing Kata's clothing and yet to Nathan so obviously herself, let out a small groan of pain as her half-healed arm was moved.

Blearily, her mismatched eyes opened, and cast around vaguely for a few moments until they found Nathan's unimpressed face, wavering in her vision.

She coughed, and a trickle of blood trailed down her chin. Nathan looked even more unimpressed; his eyes hardening.

"I told you needed blood, especially if you're going to injure yourself like this." Ibukishi mustered a glare in his general direction, but her angry expression was immediately replaced with the shock of hurriedly suppressed pain as Nathan pulled her to her feet, still supporting her by her good arm.

Still looking sour, Nathan flipped aside her open jacket lapel casually, revealing the dark, steadily growing stain of blood just below her left collarbone.

"That looks nasty." Nathan commented, ignoring Ibukishi's grimace as he poked it. "Just got your heart, I'd say."

"Nathan!" The shocked cry attracted the attention of both Nathan and Ibukishi, but Nathan reacted that much faster; turning to face the young boy before Ibukishi had even begun to register the shout.

"Oh, perfect timing, little chevalier." Nathan grinned, but there was no warmth in his smile as he began to brutally drag Ibukishi along towards Riku, who was shaking, eyes wide. Ibukishi spluttered again, before glancing up, her red-brown eye meeting Riku's, reminding him suddenly of Saya.

At that, his shaking grew more controlled, and his eyes narrowed. A determined gleam came into his eyes, and Ibukishi closed her eye with a small smile that wasn't seen by anyone. Nathan stopped at the vehemence in the small boy's eyes.

"Let her go. Can't you see you're hurting her?" Riku snapped, sounding abruptly older than his fifteen years, and much more like a moody teenager than he had ever done when he actually had the temperamental hormones raging through his body. Nathan smirked.

"Of course I am. She collapses in some street, miles away in the middle of nowhere, covered in blood with no strength, and guess who has to go collect her? Me." Nathan complained, but he relinquished his hold on his queen at Riku's glare, leaving the boy to support the half-dead Ibukishi.

"What can we do to help her?" Riku asked, frantic as Ibukishi's eyelids drooped further. He was reluctant to ask Nathan for help, but he was desperate to help Ibukishi. His naturally caring nature meant he couldn't help but love someone like her. Nathan's grin widened further, and he looked devious enough that Riku may have begun shaking again, had he not at that moment manoeuvring Ibukishi into a sort of embrace so he could hold her comfortably.

"Feed her." Riku looked up frowning, but there was no confusion in his expression.

"You mean… blood?" Riku asked, looking down at Ibukishi's pale and sweaty face. Nathan resisted the urge to laugh.

"Indeed. I do believe it is your turn, young chevalier." Nathan said grimly, his words mocking. Riku's eyes narrowed in response, and he reached up resolutely to pull the collar of his shirt down. It ripped in his haste, baring his strangely young neck.

Determined, Riku heaved Ibukishi up so that her parted lips brushed his bared neck, where his strangely potent blood pulsed. Unable to stop himself, he shuddered, but not from distaste.

Ibukishi's eyes flashed open, glowing. Nathan saw this with approval, as his queen's survival instinct kicked in and took over; sudden energy coursing through her. She reached up to grasp Riku's shoulders, and licked his neck once. Riku shuddered again, and then Ibukishi bit.

-n/s-

"You really need to stop doing this to yourself. Someday, Riku and I won't be able to help you." Ibukishi's eyes flickered up to stare at Nathan as she gently closed the door behind her. The hall where they stood was dark, lit by the dimmed orange lights to protect the slumber of the hotel's residents. Ibukishi sighed.

"Are you not my chevalier? It is your duty to help me, no? As a chevalier."

"Oh-ho, so you admit it now, do you?" Nathan laughed derisively, and his queen whirled to face him.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me," She hissed, her eyes beginning to glow. "Or do I have to remind you who it was that made himself my chevalier? You have no right to complain about this." In that moment, she was more regal than even Diva had ever been, and Nathan loved her for it.

Their gazes fought for dominance for a few moments, before he submitted and bowed his head respectfully.

"Please forgive me, my queen. It has been a long time since I truly served under the name of 'chevalier', and much has changed during that time." He murmured softly. Ibukishi gazed at him for a long time, her eyes hard, before her posture relaxed slightly, and she leant against the door, weary.

"You never told me why." The words were so quiet Nathan barely caught them, and he had to pause to decipher the words.

"My queen?" her mismatched eyes slid up to meet his puzzled gaze.

"You never told me why you drank my blood and became my chevalier." The silence that followed was weighted with dust and lingering feelings. Their gazes remained locked, but neither saw the other as they stood in the present, in an old dusty hotel hallway…

-flashback-

She wiped her sword on the grass, leaving bloodied stains. The maintenance of her blade was the most important thing; any other traces of her night's doings would be wiped away before the first fingers of light found their way into the remote empty space where the girl stood.

Her blade, however, was hers and hers alone. She looked up, her face showing nothing. One might have thought that she would place her katana back inside its case after her night of bloody killing, but it seemed, from the way she scented the air, that her job was not finished; she still held her sword at the ready in her right hand.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." She said, the nursery rhyme echoing creepily through the stillness of the very early morning, that much scarier for being said with no inflection of emotion by a bloodstained girl with mismatched eyes.

A crunch to her left had her whirling, yet she remained calm, as her sword swung up to point at the person who had stepped into the clearing.

He surveyed her with an emotion she did not really recognise; it was only when he chuckled that she managed to name the light dancing in his light blue eyes as amusement. She knew this, but it did not matter. All that mattered was that he was prey.

She flashed forwards with a speed that surprised him, but he managed to sidestep in time; the sword only nicked his shoulder rather than hacking it off. However, she clearly wouldn't have cared either way; her intention was to cut him into pieces and she swung back, aiming for his torso.

But he was expecting this; he caught her blade in one hand, ignoring the blood that spilled, and used her motion to capture her in a kind of embrace. She didn't flinch or react in anyway, her head merely swivelling to look him in the eye once more.

She didn't struggle, at least, not in any normal way. Rather than squirming or kicking, she instead began to push against his grip, obviously not expecting strength greater than her own. He gazed at her, seeing the puzzlement in her eyes as she failed to escape with wonder.

_So she can feel things… does that mean she has emotions, but does not show them, or that she has a limited number of emotions?… I expect her training has not prepared her for someone like me, so perhaps that is all her mindset allows for; confusion at the unexpected._ He blinked as the girl in his arms abruptly released her sword; leaving him holding it, and stopped trying to escape his grip, simply standing stock still in his arms, gazing at him in confusion.

Despite all of his preparation, he still hesitated a moment. Shaking his head to clear it, he gazed deep into her eyes; which while being eerily different colours, were still clear and innocent; untainted despite the atrocities he knew she had been through.

Whatever he saw in that clear-eyed gaze obviously satisfied him, for a smile settled over his lips. She didn't react, not even when his lips stretched back to reveal gleaming white fangs. She may have reacted when, after ripping the collar of her jacket to bare her skin, he bit into her neck, but he was too lost in the taste of blood to notice.

Her blood was everything he had longed for, everything he expected and yet so much more at the same time; a delectable balance of two very different flavours that clashed and complemented each other at the same time; tangy and sweet, sour and spicy, all swirling past his teeth and tongue as it passed towards his throat.

He nearly drank too much. If not for her slight mumble; some kind of survival instinct slipped through her training and self-control, he could well have rendered her half-dead for months. But mumble she did, and so he stopped, his head woozy on blood. Her kick caught him hard in the stomach and sent him flying; for she had been waiting for the inevitable relax of his grip. As he flew, he found himself impressed, and he smiled.

The smile did not fade even when she recovered her blade and cut him in half; straight through the torso in a deadly spray of crimson. He waited, seeing instinct battle the mind-set in her eyes; blood lust against sanity. It was a battle that every chiropteran had, and it was constant. The hierarchy of chiropterans was based on little more than the ability to fight that blood lust.

But having lost so much to him, she could do little, and the blood lust turned her eyes to unnatural glowing embers. He still breathed, his blood still pumped, and it called to her, just as he had planned.

She drank, although nowhere near as much as he had. She swayed and fell to her knees, retching as if part of her knew the fatality of what she had just done. Her sword was gripped tight in her fisted hand on the bloodstained grass. She stayed like that for maybe hours, and it was enough time for him to pull himself together again.

Neither moved until he reached forwards to touch her cheek; splattered with browning blood, and then she looked up, confusion written across her features. She stood, as if in defiance to him, but he stayed kneeling, hiding a smirk. Her eyes were unfocused; the glow shifting across their surface and flickering from death bright to concealing dullness imbetween the seconds.

"Who…" She gave a small gasp as her legs gave, and he surged forwards to catch her. She lay limp in his arms, and he recognised the aroma from ages long past. He leaned forwards, shifting her so that their faces were bare inches apart.

"I am Nathan Mahler. And I vow to serve you, and only you, my queen…" He smiled, murmuring the words like a caress. She seemed to take them in, before her already drooping eyelids shut, and her breathing deepened.

He straightened, still carrying his new queen in his arms, and sighed wryly.

"So it seems that even you, little princess, are affected by the Long Sleep triggered by the first taste of your chevalier's blood. I wonder how long that will last." He smirked, and left the blood stained clearing, pausing only to retrieve her blade, to go and search for a safe place to protect his queen while she slept.

-end flashback-

"So?" Ibukishi had snapped out of their shared reverie first, and her question brought Nathan out of the past as well.

"So what?" He asked, smirking at her. Her expression didn't change, completely undeterred by Nathan's overacting.

"Why did you do it?" She asked. A small silence followed the question, in which neither Ibukishi nor Nathan moved a muscle.

Nathan sighed and ran a hand through his curls, obviously going for the part of the overworked diva.

"I was bored." He lamented. "I had been without my own queen for so long… I could not find any way to end my miserable existence. I wasn't aware of the existence of Saya or Diva, so you were the only replacement." Nathan answered, not quite meeting Ibukishi's eyes. She laughed, throwing her head back.

"Then… it was loneliness?" She jeered, her mouth twisted into a cruel imitation of a smile. Nathan bowed to hide his own smile.

"You liar." Her abruptly hard words cut across the sounds of their mirth, and Nathan's head snapped up, confused. Ibukishi's hand gripped Nathan by the neck and slammed him against the wall, a strange gleam in her eyes that didn't exactly hint at complete sanity.

"You've been planning this whole thing from the start. You and your queen… the whole thing was, ah, _predestined_. To showcase the beauty and cruelty of the chiropterans." She said, her voice as emotionless as the day they had first met.

Nathan stared at her in shock, before his own expression turned crafty to mirror his queen's.

"So you knew all along?" He asked, surprisingly amused.

"Of course." She murmured. "I remember pieces of my … parent's memories." Understanding dawned in Nathan's eyes.

"Naturally." He muttered, and Ibukishi laughed again. This laugh was cold, and hard; with all the cruelty of Diva contained in it, but without the softening edge of the blue queen's childlike innocence. The chiropteran queen Ibukishi was cruel, and well aware of it. More, she _revelled_ in it.

"It is anything but _natural_, Nathan, as well you know." Their gazes locked once more, and once more he relived memories that had all but turned to dust; a glowing test tube filled with amniotic fluid and cocoon juices, strands of dark hair entwined around pale fingers that floated through tubes, greedy people licking their lips and drooling, innocent eyes opening for the first time and being told to kill, a child's face growing up smeared with the blood of beasts…

But Ibukishi would not let Nathan stay in the past; her tightened grip around his neck refocused his gaze in a hurry.

"But you and your queen reckoned without me, didn't you? Nobody could have predicted me." Ibukishi continued, and Nathan's guarded look was all she needed for consent. She smiled, but there was neither warmth nor amusement in the expression; and her fangs slid out to dent her lower lip. "So you became my 'chevalier' of a sort, to see how you could fit me into your plan. Is that not right?" She asked, and Nathan could do nothing but nod, so fearsome did she look, and so much like that person it hurt too much for coherent thought. Her blue eye jarred with his vision, however, keeping him conscious against the wave of memories.

"Ibukishi. Let us simply finish this." Nathan sighed; the weariness of thousands of years of life suddenly all too evident in his voice. Ibukishi stared at him, her expression guarded, before she released him from her grip.

"Indeed. But be warned; I am taking your plan into account, but I shall get what I want, Nathan Mahler." Ibukishi said gravely, and Nathan, still leaning against the wall, couldn't answer; simply watching her with a surprisingly soft expression in his eyes.

"Well. Isn't this interesting, my queen?" He murmured, picking himself up with a wry smile. Perhaps even Nathan did not know which of his queens he was referring to.

-n/s-

"Okay, I swear, if I have to sit through that damn squeaking again then that cello is going to be in enough pieces for tinder." Kata sat up with a bad tempered hiss; left over from the slow healing of her arm. Hagi ground to a halt, gazing at her with a blank expression, while Saya emerged from the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"You don't find it beautiful?" Saya asked, but Kata could tell the question was half automatic; Saya would care little whether Kata answered or not. Kata wondered idly if she would react if she really did destroy the beloved cello, before quickly dismissing the notion.

Hagi spoke to her rarely enough as it was, break his cello and he wouldn't even look at her.

"It is beautiful. It's lovely, it's just _dandy_," Kata flounced down the aisle of the church and leapt delicately over the kerosene lamp. "But, we've been listening to the same piece for what, a hundred years? Live it up a bit, guys!" Kata exclaimed, now behind the abandoned altar, arms spread out in her preach-speech pose.

"What do you suggest?" Hagi asked quietly, laying down the bow of the cello, much to both Kata's and Saya's shock. Kata stared at him for a full minute, while he stoically returned her gaze, and Saya's tired maroon coloured eyes flickered back and forth between the pair with a vague kind of interest.

Suddenly, Kata's lips curved into a wide grin.

"I suggest… you let me do some music making, Hagi boy." She jumped up onto the altar, and then sat down upon it, pulling out her guitar and apparently completely unaffected by her act of sacrilegious rebel.

She began to strum randomly with no obvious pattern to her playing, before suddenly a tune became very apparent, as with a mischievous grin, she sang directly at Hagi:

_If all the flowers, faded away._

_If all the storm clouds, decided to stay._

_Then you would find me, each hour the same._

_She is tomorrow, I am today._

_And if right is leaving, I'd rather be wrong._

_She is the sunlight, when the sun is gone._

_And if loving her, is heartache for me._

_And if holding her means, that I have to bleed._

_Then I am a martyr, and love is to blame._

_She is the healing, and I am the pain._

_She lives in a daydream, where I don't belong._

'_Cause she is the sunlight, when the sun is gone._

_And throughout this life of regret, my heart will never be able to forget_

_Tomorrow will be as it has always been, and I will fall to her again_

_Because I know it's too late._

_And if right is leaving, I'd rather be wrong._

'_Cause she is the sunlight and the sun is gone._

Who knows what the reactions of Saya and Hagi would have been, but they never found out to Kata's disappointment, because into the echo of the last chord came a thump as a small girl ran into the circle of light where the trio sat. Kata sat up a bit, as Saya recognised the intruder.

"Lulu!"

* * *

**I know I know I've taken ages and this is pitifully short, and I also know I keep saying that I'll make it up to you guys, but I really will! I just need to rewatch this part of the series because my memory is a bit patchy, and I also might cut some bits out, but it's getting there!**

**I hope you enjoy and please review! XD**


	19. Chapter 18:Saya Nearly Dies in a Theatre

**Chapter 18 – Saya Nearly Dies in a Theatre of All Places**

Lulu gasped, and collapsed near the flame as Saya leapt to her feet; her sword clenched in her hand. Kata put her guitar down and rested her chin on her hand, smiling with amused interest.

"Please! Saya, you have to help! Moses, and Karman-"

"Calm down." Saya commanded, and the young girl began to breathe properly. "Now, tell us what happened." Saya said, but before Lulu could reply they were interrupted by a sniff from Kata. Noticing her for the first time, Lulu's wide eyes flashed to her face.

"Kata?" Saya queried; over the long years of fighting together both Saya and Hagi had learnt to trust her nose. It may have had something to do with escaping a landslide and finding three chiropteran nests as well as being able to defeat some before they even changed, but as far as Kata was concerned 'details were details, and nobody really gave a shit'.

"The Corpse Cops." Kata said, opening her eyes and gazing at Lulu intensely. Lulu made a small startled noise as she saw Kata's mismatched eyes, and turned to face her fully. "You were attacked by chiropterans almost as strong as chevaliers, correct?" Lulu's eyes widened further, as Kata gently placed her guitar in its case and stood decisively.

"How... how did you know?" Lulu cried, startled.

"I can smell them on you." Kata said dismissively, pulling her collapsed swords from their halters and unsheathing them fully. Lulu made another surprised noise and jolted as the blades sprang out with a 'shing', already laced with Kata's blood. Saya blinked at her,

"What? The Corpse Cops?" She repeated, following Kata's example and pulling her katana from its sheath. Hagi packed away his cello, following his queen, as Kata shot Saya a devious grin.

"Remember in Paris, when I told you that the Schiff were not the final product?" She asked, as she began to stride down the aisle towards the grand old doors of the church. Saya and Hagi followed, Lulu hurrying after.

"Yes?"

"Well, the Corpse Cops are. They're faster, stronger, and have been mass produced. Your blood can probably still kill them, as they're made from Diva's blood, but they'll be almost as hard to kill as chevaliers. Not quite, but almost." Kata flashed them a smile as she kicked open the doors; her hands full with her swords.

Lulu tripped over the hem of her robe and stumbled, but nobody looked back as she hurriedly scooped up the skirt and rushed to catch up.

"Wait! Where are we going?" Kata shot the purple-haired girl a slightly incredulous look.

"Um, you asked for help? Duh?" Kata said, raising an eyebrow as she began to lead the way to the warehouse she knew the Schiff were staying at without even looking.

"But! You don't know where we're going!" Lulu exclaimed, putting on a burst of speed to catch up with Kata; who was now running. Saya and Hagi followed suit as Kata gave an incredibly loud snort.

"Yes, I do."

"How?" Lulu asked, her eyes even wider than usual with admiration.

"'Cause you left a trail that I can practically see." Kata said with a grimly joyful smile, and Lulu shut up while she tried to work out if there was an insult in the sentence or not.

With all of them running, it did not take long for the group to reach the warehouse, but outside the open door Kata ground to a halt, an extremely disappointed look on her face.

"Kata?" Saya queried, pausing behind her friend. Lulu rushed straight in, and Saya followed as Kata answered.

"They're gone. Damn, I was hoping for a good fight, too." Saya looked around the warehouse, Hagi stepping up to her shoulder, but sure enough there was no sign of any assailants. There was a sigh accompanied by a grumble as Kata sheathed her swords, when Lulu suddenly ran forwards with a cry; spotting her fallen comrades.

"Well, I'm off. See you later." Kata said, disappointment still ringing through her voice. Saya glanced back, confused.

"But, why?" Saya asked, frowning, as Kata, now becoming increasingly bad tempered, glared at her.

"Because I do not want to deal with the Schiff. They're failed prototypes who are all going to die anyway, so excuse me but I'm not getting involved. You'll only get hurt if you do, and while they may be useful, they'll drag you down." Kata spat, ignoring the shocked glance she received from Lulu as her comrades burst into flames. Karman and Moses appeared out of the shadows, frowns on their faces.

"What do you mean, we'll all die anyway? Surely there is a way to save us." Moses stated. Kata whirled around, now seriously pissed off.

"Okay, look here you one-eyed pretty boy, you guys are specifically being targeted and killed off by one of Diva's chevaliers and the Corpse Cops. You barely survived the first attack, what makes you think you're going to live through another? Hell, I can't even talk to you, clone-freak." She spat, her eyes narrowed. Suddenly Moses let out a gasp and took a step forwards, his teal eye wide.

"You're-" Abruptly, Kata was right in his face, her voice low and menacing.

"If you ever attempt to finish that sentence again, I will personally _slaughter_ every single one of you and use you as my interior design for my house. Got it?" Kata snapped, and Moses had barely given a terrified nod before she disappeared, leaving Moses to fend off the other's questions about what the hell Kata had been saying.

-n/s-

"Aww, Diva, I liked that one!" Himi complained, as her friend shattered the museum glass and grabbed the giant, stuffed and (hopefully) very dead tarantula from its display case. Diva giggled, not concerned in the slightest.

"But I like red; the marks on its back are red." Diva stated, and Himi smiled, wrapping her arms around Diva's neck so that she was half piggy-backing her.

"Like Saya's eyes?" Himi whispered softly, and Diva blinked, but before she could react Amshel called the girls to leave. Himi stayed behind, watching as Amshel and James shepherded the blue eyed queen, who was in Riku's form, from the museum.

"What did you say to her?" Nathan asked, neither of them noticing when Solomon paused at the entrance to listen. Himi glanced up at Nathan with a curious expression on her face.

"She said she liked red. Like Saya's eyes." She stated, and Nathan's eyes widened, as did the hidden Solomon's.

-n/s-

"Well? I hope you called us here for a damn good reason!" Mao snapped, standing in front of David with her hands on her hips and a typical 'Mao' expression on her face; bored, incredulous, judging and bitchy all at the same time. Okamura sighed and ran his hands through his hair in the background. David looked up from his newspaper, not reacting and for the first time in a long time, not drunk.

"Yes. I need you to find out who is sponsoring Diva's upcoming concert-" He started, before he was interrupted by a lazy female voice.

"It's sponsored jointly by Cinq Fleches and Goldsmith Holdings." Kata drawled, who had suddenly appeared; lazily sprawled on the bench next to David. Mao and Okamura jumped, and even David started.

"Kata?"

"Ooooh! I know who you are!" Okamura exclaimed excitedly, and Kata opened one blue eye.

"Oh, hooray for you, journalist-boy." Abruptly, Kata sat up and wrinkled her nose. "And when was the last time you washed your hair? And you still smell like cigarette smoke! Ugh! That's revolting, you know? Mao, I thought you'd broken his habit! Oh, wait, didn't you know he sneaks out at night to smoke?" Kata said, her words lightening fast. David folded his newspaper away, wondering if Kata actually needed another person to talk to; she seemed completely capable of having a perfectly decent conversation all by herself.

"Okamura!" Mao exclaimed, turning to glare at the shell-shocked man, who instantly looked wary.

"Anyway," David interrupted before Mao and Okamura could begin a full scale bicker-row. "Who's sponsoring Diva's concert?" Kata grinned and leant back into the bench once more.

"It's jointly sponsored by Cinq Fleches and Goldsmith Holdings. And those two companies have joined up to produce food for all the military forces. They have a research facility on the outskirts of London, run by a man called Van Argeno." Kata stood and shot David a glance as she rustled in her bag. "I think you know him, from Vietnam." David frowned, as Kata held out a sheath of papers. "Here. That should be all the information you need." A sudden grin alighted on her face as she turned to go. "If you don't trust me, you could always have Okamura and Mao check it out anyway. Later."

And with that, Kata left, leaving the startled trio staring after her. Sure enough, David did have Mao and Okamura check out the info that Kata had given him, but everything checked out; she had genuinely been trying to help, in her own way. That being that she didn't particularly care what Amshel was plotting by going into food industry for the military, but actually just felt rather sorry for Julia, whom she knew was working with Collins on chiropteran research, and wanted her and David to get together. She thought their kids would be cute.

-n/s-

Diva giggled, throwing her head back; a head now covered with short hair, rather than her own long, dark tresses. Himi laughed at James's slightly sour look as he gently placed his queen down. Diva had liked her cream dress so much that she had ordered several more, but Himi could never wear the same outfit twice and was instead dressed in a sleeveless dress with a thick, grey belt around her waist, cinching it in. It was striped in a waved pattern in pale blue and white, and somehow managed to match Diva's dress while being completely unique in its own way.

They were all enthralled the moment Diva began to sing; her voice echoing beautifully around the gilt ceiling of Covent Garden, but only a few moments into the aria Kata stiffened suddenly.

"Saya!" She hissed, her eyes widening, and seconds later Nathan and then James noticed. Immediately, James turned to Diva so he could hurry her to safety, but Nathan pulled him back, amusement and interest playing across his features.

"I think we should prepare a little… _show_ for our lovely bride." Himi's frantic glares were ignored completely, as Nathan set James up in wait for Saya.

-n/s-

Himi cringed as Saya and Hagi mounted the stage warily, sitting on the floor with her back against the banister of the box.

Nathan and Diva, who was still in Riku's form only now dressed in her sailor suit, were sitting on golden chairs cushioned with red plush-y velvet, facing the stage.

"The Zoo…" Saya murmured, recognising the set as Saya and Hagi looked around cautiously, still unaware of their audience. Up in the box, Nathan clasped his hands together, ecstatic.

"Oh, I'm so glad she recognised it!" He squealed, quietly; proud of his handiwork. Obviously he hadn't built it himself, but he had designed it, which counted, especially in Nathan's book.

"Yoo-hoo! Sister Saya!" Diva called, unable to contain herself for any longer; standing and waving with an adorable smile lighting up her face, as a spotlight suddenly shot a bright beam onto the stage where Saya stood. Himi took advantage of Diva's distraction to kick Nathan in the shin. Hard.

"Diva!" Saya spat, drawing her katana and preparing to charge, when Nathan suddenly tutted.

"Ah, ah, ah. We're not your opponents for today, but may I present the one and only, James Ironside!" Nathan declared, raising an arm as with several clanks a grille rose from the wall of one of the ruins on the set.

Saya and Hagi turned, already defensive, as the ugly shape of James's chiropteran form became visible as he moved out of the gloom.

Himi, while being aware of the impending battle going on behind her, used the time to torment Nathan, pausing only when Diva suddenly stood. Both Nathan and Himi glanced up at her in question.

"Diva?" Nathan asked, as Diva turned towards the door.

"This is boring. And sister looks scary today." Diva said in a bored tone, heading for the exit. "I'm going back." She stated, and Nathan smiled genially while Himi tried to work out how to leave with her friend without attracting the notice of Saya and Hagi while not making a complete fool of herself.

"Okay dear. But try not to eat the driver, honey, there's more food waiting for you at home." He drawled, fixing his eyes upon the spectacle on the stage.

"Mmm." Diva made a vague agreeing noise as she left with a few parting words to Himi; "Himi, you stay here so you can tell me what happens." Himi let out a small groan and slumped back on the floor, her closed eyes missing Nathan's smirk.

"_Nathan_." She growled, her eyes flashing open. She may not have seen it, but she could tell when her chevalier was making fun of her.

"Oh, when we get back you are _so_ dead- holy mother of god, what is _he_ doing here?" Nathan breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Himi broke off from threatening him to peer over the balcony, gazing down in disgust at the ginger head of the person who had just entered. "Aww, man, it's the ginger-ninja!" She complained quietly. "He's already seen me as 'Himi' once, and that was with extensions! If he sees me like this, I'm screwed!" Himi cursed, gesturing to her hair which was in its normal, and instantly recognisable, style.

"Ginger-ninja?" Nathan echoed, not interested in the slightest by his queen's identity problems.

"He grew too tall for ginger brat." Himi answered absentmindedly, still peeking at the fight; now spellbound.

"But why ginger-ninja? I mean, there's a whole world of ginger jokes, and you chose-"

"It _rhymes_." Himi answered, shooting him a 'duh' look. Nathan swallowed his retort, and they both turned their eyes back to the stage in time to see Kai firing at James's iron-like skin. Of course, the shots pinged of uselessly, barely distracting the chevalier. Nathan snorted.

"Ginger _and_ idiotic? That's just cruel." Nathan sighed, sounding not unlike a particularly girly damsel in distress. Himi let out a Kata-like bark of laughter.

"Idiotic is an understatement. He practically exudes a palpable aura of contagious stupid." She said scathingly, Kata's sharp tongue slashing through her guise as Himi. Nathan smiled, and then gave another theatrically girl gasp as Kai began shooting again, but this time at a big metal rafter, barely visible from the box, holding lights and other such technical whatnot.

"He's ruining my set!" Nathan exclaimed, standing with an outraged cry, but everyone but Himi were too engaged in the fight to notice. As for Himi, she merely shot a well-aimed kick at Nathan's already bruised shin.

"No, he's trying to help, the bumbling fool." Himi sighed, still kneeling half out of sight, as she guessed Kai's plan to bring the rafter down on James; and sure enough, eventually the rafter fell with a resounding crash, narrowly missing Saya herself. Himi rolled her eyes.

"What… It didn't even scratch him!" Kai muttered, as Himi rolled her eyes again.

"Well, duh." She murmured to herself, before the next events had her on her feet, regardless of being recognised, leaning over the balcony in horror. James, recovering, had thrown the rafter off him, knocking Saya all the way over the seats, sending her into the back wall under the box with a resounding crash as cracks slivered out from her point of impact.

Himi, hapless to do anything as James charged, looked on helplessly. Neither Kai nor even Hagi could get there in time, and shock as well as the fact she was still firmly 'Himi' kept her own feet glued to the ground. Although she had 'Kata's' clothes with her, there was no way she could change in time. Leaning over as far as she could, Himi did the only thing she could; she screamed with her mind.

_NATHAN!_ Nathan heard her mental cry with surprise, and met it with glee; vaulting over the balcony with an impossible speed that only a chevalier had; he moved so fast that he only next became visible standing nonchalantly next to James, a single hand holding back the huge chiropteran by the spike protruding from James's head.

"Nathan!" James growled, furious, as Hagi flashed forwards instantly and scooped Saya up and out of harm's way; stopping off to the side, kneeling with his queen in his arms, safe, if injured.

Up on the box, Himi's knees gave out and she collapsed to the floor, breathing hard, with a quiet thump that nobody but Nathan heard.

"What are you doing, Nathan?" James growled, unable to dislodge himself from Nathan's one handed grip. Himi looked up, wondering how on earth Nathan could pass this off, but enormously grateful nether the less that he had.

"You're not on the stage." He complained petulantly, and was met with a slightly incredulous silence from everybody. Himi gave a breathy chuckle; her head dropping to her chest in sheer amazement.

"Not on the… who cares!" James yelled at the back of Nathan's blonde head; the man had still not turned to face his 'brother'.

"Who cares?" He asked lightly, before he turned and glared at James, his eyes burning red. "I'll kill you." He growled, his voice low and menacing. James stuttered; nobody really knew where Nathan had come from, and he was the only one who did not engage in fighting. However, he was also the only one Amshel did not attempt to order around; and that made the other chevaliers wary.

"Fine. I'll let it go just this once. But next time…" James shot Saya a parting glare, before leaving; presumably resuming his human form once out of sight; either that or he had walked out into the London streets like a monster.

Nathan grinned, and turned; once more sassy and girlish; one hand jauntily on his hip.

"I'll find you a suitable stage to die on, Saya. Until next time…" And then he too, left; sensing Himi shifting to Kata in the box as she changed. Kai rushed forwards, gun still in hand, as Saya sat up; using Hagi's shoulder for support.

"Saya! Are you alri…?" He trailed off as Saya reached up, moving Hagi's shirt collar out of the way. Saya seemed to remember Kai as her fangs slid out, and she shot him a glance, before drawing Hagi closer. Kai looked away, as Kata slid her swords into their brackets; her transformation complete as she ruffled her hair to mess it up suitably.

As Kai looked up, he found Saya and Hagi were gone, and, holstering his gun, was about to leave himself, when Kata jumped down, landing lightly in the spot where Saya and Hagi had been bare seconds ago.

"Kata!" He exclaimed in surprise, as Kata looked up at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Heya, ginger-ninja." Kai stopped, frowning.

"You… chose _ginger-ninja_?" He asked, his frown deepening. Kata shrugged.

"Hey. It rhymes, and I couldn't be bothered to find something else." Kata stated, kneeling down and scrutinising the floor where Saya and Hagi had been, and narrowing her eyes. "Besides, ninja's are cool." She shrugged, continuing with her scrutiny of the carpet. Kai watched her as she scratched the red carpeted floor with her finger and then inspected her fingernail closely. Whatever she found there made her sigh, and then she did the last thing Kai would have expected.

He had long since written Kata off as a crazy, unpredictable person who helped Saya and he didn't like, but what she did next completely bamboozled him. Standing, she pulled from her pocket a can of bright yellow spray paint; the kind used for graffiti; which was then exactly what she did; spraying the floor in a random swirly pattern and then criss-crossing it.

"Um…" Kai ventured, and Kata looked up as she shook the can vigorously.

"What?" she asked bluntly, walking over the the wall where the crater created by Saya's fight with James was, and beginning to spray that too with random symbols, all in fluorescent yellow.

"What are you doing?" Kai asked, bemused, as she sprayed a great big number eight for no apparent reason.

"Covering it up." She answered, shaking the can once more before beginning to do a remarkably detailed illustration of the London skyline in graffiti spray-paint.

"Covering what up?" Kai asked, as Kata began to spray the London Eye. She shot him a look that spoke volumes about exactly what she thought of his state of mind, but answered anyway;

"Their fight. The blood, the gunshots and everything. How do you think they've gone unnoticed by the Police for so long?" Kata gave a crooked smile as she moved to the stage and began to spray a London telephone box along the rafter. Kai followed her, fascinated.

"So you clean up their messes to make it look like vandalism?" He asked curiously, and she beamed at him.

"Yeah, pretty much. The Police are still looking for the 'greatest vandals of all time'." She said with a smirk as she pocketed the spray can and, drawing her knife, began to dig Kai's bullets out of the set. "I mean, the Red Shield have sorted out a few instances, and sometimes even Diva's side have, but mostly it's me." She said it without pride; she wasn't boasting, simply stating a fact. For the moment she seemed quite content to have Kai in the room, but he suddenly became aware that he was just watching her work.

"Uh… sorry, is there anything I can do to help?" He asked, slightly nervous, and Kata glanced up at him, surprised.

"No, you'd just get in the way." She spoke bluntly, smiling sweetly at him, and he sat down in one of the chairs, suddenly exhausted. A few minutes passed like this, with Kata getting rid of all evidence of firearms, blood and the like; 'cleaning' the place up so it looked like a party of wild teens had got in and gone crazy with yellow spray paint, but without the alcohol and drugs.

"Hey, Kata?" Kai said suddenly, sitting up in his seat as she stood, apparently just about finished, and looked at him.

"You know a lot of random stuff about this war, right?" He asked.

"Right." She agreed, warily, sitting down on the edge of the stage with her feet dangling over the orchestra pit.

"So… have you ever heard of a person called 'Himi'?" He asked. Kata stiffened. "She has dark hair, and she's a friend of Diva's… she might be a chevalier, but I can't really remember what she looks like… she was wearing a white dress, on the HQ the night Riku…" He trailed off with a swallow, before ploughing on; Kata's stone-like response unnoticed. "She kicked me in the head. I just wondered, do you know who she is?" He asked, finally looking up and noticing Kata's frozen expression.

"You're going to forget about her, Kai." She whispered, flashing forwards to place two fingers upon his brow.

"Wha-!" The last thing he saw before blacking out was a pair of shining eyes; one red, one blue.

-n/s-

"Yo." Kata said. Blearily, Kai sat up, blinking. "You fell asleep." Kata explained; sitting on the stage.

"Oh. Sorry. Did you finish clearing?" He asked; for this was the last thing he remembered. Kata smiled softly.

"Yeah." Somehow, Kai got the feeling that she was referring to clearing more than just the Theatre where Saya had nearly died earlier. Kata suddenly stood up with a stretch, and Kai followed suit.

"Well, I should get going." He said, suddenly feeling awkward. Kata didn't reply, and he took that as his cue to leave; turning towards the door. He paused in the doorway, unsure if he should say anything, but Kata thought he was gone; opening her eyes, she sat down on the rafter; a spot that wasn't covered in yellow paint, and began to sing, softly and sadly.

"_This story's missing a wishing well_

_No mirror to show and tell_

_No kiss that can break the spell_

_I'm falling asleep_

_Every prince is a fantasy_

_The witch is inside of me_

_Her poison will wash away the memory_

_We kill the lights, and put on a show_

_It's all a lie, but you'd never know_

_The star will shine, and then it will fall_

_And you will forget it all_

_And after midnight we're all the same_

_No glass shoe to bring us fame_

_Nobody to take the blame_

_We're falling apart_

_Every story's a waiting game_

_A flower for every name_

_Their colours are paling in the falling rain_

_We kill the lights, and put on a show_

_It's all a lie, but you'd never know_

_The star will shine, and then it will fall_

_And you will forget it all_

_Now you know it's so much better to pretend_

_There's something waiting for you here_

_Every letter that you wrote_

_Has found its way to me my dear_

_You can make believe that what you say _

_Is what I want to hear_

_I'll keep dancing through this beautiful, delusional career_

_Faking every tear_

_Looking like a compromise suicide_

_Keeping all my dreams alive._" As Kata finished the song, her glowing mismatched eyes, tinged with sadness, met Kai's; she had meant him to hear the song he realised. He stuttered, but she cut across, and her voice was somehow different; not the voice of the Kata he knew. He did not know it, but it was the cruel voice of the chiropteran queen Ibukishi.

"Go home, Kai Miyagusuku. This time, it will all end. All of the chess pieces are in position; everything is coming to a climax. Treasure this time while you have it." She said. Kai turned on his heel and fled.

* * *

**...hi?**

**So, I'm not dead... yet, anyway. :D I finally updated, so yay for me! I was feeling really unispired, and everything I wrote was just crappy and I kept deleting it/screwing up bits of paper - my room really looked like a 'frustrated author's', much to my mother's despair!**

**But I read 'Nobility' by 'guy640', and I really recommend it - it really inspired me! So thanks, guy640! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and please review - I'm really going to update the next one soon! Promise! Feel free to bug me if I don't! XD**


	20. Chapter 19 : Party Time!

**Chapter 19 - Party Time!**

"Okay, seriously, I'm concerned about your mental health. _Why_ are you glaring at that poster as if you'd like to destroy it in numerously painful ways?" Kata said by way of greeting, and Saya shot her a look. Kata held her hands up defensively. "Jeez, I was just asking. I mean, Diva's not _that_ ugly, even when she looks like Riku; she's adorable, in fact-"

"Kata. It's _Diva_." Saya stated flatly. Kata stared at her.

"Um, yeah, I know it's Diva, but you're staring at this poster like she murdered your dad or something." Kata grumbled, and Saya blinked.

"Kata, she _did_. Twice." Saya said, frowning, as Kata raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah, I know _Diva _did, but what did the _poster_ ever do to you - ohlookit'sthegingerninja!" Kata suddenly exclaimed with a dramatic point to hurriedly distract Saya and avoid the death glare. And, you know, the explanation of how Diva was on the poster and that was who Saya was glaring at, not the poster itself.

Saya turned, and sure enough, Kai was approaching, while Monique could be seen in the background, her arms full of shopping.

"Hey, Saya. All of Diva's concerts have been cancelled." Kai approached cautiously, as Saya frowned. Kata breathed a small sigh of relief, before peeking over Saya's shoulder to watch Kai awkwardly stand there.

"Gee, thanks, like we didn't notice." Kata said, sarcasm dripping from her words as she gestured towards the numerous posters of Diva - all splayed with the word 'cancelled'. Kai ignored her.

"Have you been alright since then?" Kai asked, remembering the wound James had given her. Saya inclined her head, and both stood there in awkward silence for a while.

"Hey to you too, Kata. How are you two doing? Oh, me? I'm good, just moping out the fact that my sister is ignoring me and stuff - ow!" Kata began to speak for Kai, but broke off as Saya elbowed her in the stomach, hard, with no emotion whatsoever.

Monique hurried forwards, dumping the shopping on the floor and grabbing Saya's hand enthusiastically. Kai shot her a warning look, but Saya didn't react.

"Saya!" She exclaimed, as Kata picked herself up from the floor, grumbling and feeling a sudden fleeting sympathy for Nathan.

It didn't last.

"It's Javier's fifth birthday," Monique began, referring to the little girl in Gray's care, "And we're throwing a party for her. It's her first birthday with us, so they'll be streamers and music and presents and everything, and it would mean so much to her if you could come?" She asked, as Kai looked at her hopefully. Saya turned away from Monique's sparkling blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time for-" She started.

"Hold on a damn second." Kata said, pulling Saya back by her shoulder as her friend turned to leave. Monique looked at Kata warily, as Kai stepped forwards warily.

"Will there be ice-cream?" Kata asked. Both Monique and Kai looked confused, before Kai answered.

"Um, yeah…"

"And cake?" Kata asked, still completely serious. Kai and Monique exchanged a puzzled glance.

"Yeah, but-"

"We're coming. When is it?" Kata said decisively, and Kai grinned.

"Tonight." He answered, and she nodded.

"We'll be there. Even Hagi, if I can manage it." Kata grinned sardonically, ignoring Saya's incredulously questioning looks as Hagi came around the corner.

"Great!" Monique exclaimed with a beam so bright Kata actually winced, and Kai bent to pick up the bags, before they both left, Monique with a cheerful parting wave.

"But, Kata-" Saya began, frowning.

"Oh, stop being such a stingy old _lady_!" Kata snapped, hands on her hips. "We're going to the party, dammit, _and_ we're buying the little girl a present!"

-n/s-

"Tadaa!" Kata exclaimed, dragging the reluctant Saya through Gray's house the minute Monique opened the door, and presenting her to the assembled people, while Saya blushed, looking extremely uncomfortable.

Saya had never had a particular objection to dressing up when she was still innocent, before the war started and before she remembered it, but to be dressed by Kata (or in reality, unbeknownst to Saya, Himi) could be accurately compared to torture.

It was not a serious party, and Saya could only hope to god that she would never have to attend a more formal one. As it was, she had a little make-up on; lip-gloss and eyeliner, nothing too serious, and was in a dress. And shoes which weren't boots. They weren't uncomfortable or hard to walk in; low wedges that were really quite combat worthy. But they were most definitely not what Saya wanted to be wearing.

As for her dress, well, Saya was pretending that she wasn't wearing it. Glancing around, nobody else was dressed particularly differently apart from the residents of the house; Mao was still in her traditional lilac and white outfit she wore most frequently.

The dress was, in fact, really very casual; a pale cream sleeveless number with a sash cinching it in at the waist, it could easily be worn under her purple coat, and Saya was very much looking forward to pulling her beloved jacket back on over it. Kata herself, in attempt to mollify Saya, was wearing a dress too; sleeveless, it was like a very big vest that fell to her knees, striped at angles in black and white, with purple letters spelling the words 'Don't Care' over the front. She wore it over a black body-con, with her usual boots, and Saya could not help but feel jealous at the way she pulled it off.

Little did she know that Kata spent frequent time in dresses as Himi, and so knew how exactly to behave when in one, even if her personality was different.

"Um… Happy Birthday." Saya said softly, as Javier came forwards, kneeling and holding out the package she held under her arm, as the little girl's face broke into a gleeful smile. Kata had dragged her (literally) into a children's toy shop, but although Kata had wrapped the present, Saya had chosen it.

Cautiously, Javier took the present, the turquoise paper rustling as she too knelt on the floor to tear it open. Kai smiled endearingly, Mao next to him poised to pour her drink. As Javier carefully untied the bow holding the paper together (Kata had lost her patience with the cello-tape and thrown it at Hagi's head), Mao gestured to Okamura, who was gazing at Saya and Javier in fascination along with everyone else, to pour her drink. With an exasperated sigh, he obliged, catching sight of Hagi standing in the darkness of the hallway, Kata next to Monique barely inside the door.

It looked like Kata had managed to drag both of them over.

"Thank you! It's a teddy! It's so cute!" The little girl exclaimed, hugging the stuffed bear to her chest. Saya smiled gently, as Kata gazed at the girl's delight, unsmiling.

"Kata?" Saya murmured softly, standing. "What's wrong?" Kata glanced up at her friend, and gave a fleeting smile.

"I've never had it. That." She answered wistfully, nodding towards Javier's beaming face as she showed her present to Monique and Nahabi.

"What, a teddy bear?" Saya asked curiously, frowning. Kata rolled her eyes.

"Of course I've had a teddy bear you idiot, I meant a present. A family." She finished softly, the expression on her face so filled with longing that Saya honestly did not know what to say. It didn't matter though, for at that moment Kai stepped up next to them; all three watching as Javier argued with Lewis about her cake.

"Well then, I'll take my leave." Saya said, as Hagi held out her coat and Kata looked outraged. Kai stepped forwards, mouth opening in protest, but Gray beat him to it.

"Wait. It's nice of you to come with gifts, but I would be even happier if you could celebrate with us." The old man said, with a smile.

"Yeah!" Javier agreed enthusiastically, her face still hidden by the teddy she was clutching to her; her little crown slightly wonky on her brown bunches.

"Saya," Monique joined in, rushing over to the table and pulling out a chair. "Here." She said, beaming again. Kata resisted the urge to shield her eyes. Saya looked confused, and Kata rolled her eyes at Hagi, who pretended not to notice.

"But…"

"Enough already! Come and sit!" Mao exclaimed, bored by the exchange, and Kata's face broke out into a grin. "I've wanted to have a good, long talk with you myself!" She continued, looking quite fearsome. Kata burst out laughing, as Javier beamed up at Saya and tugged on her hand. Kai watched wistfully as Kata made her way over to Mao.

"Hey," She said cheerfully, as Mao glanced at her, Okamura's curious gaze following. "I never properly introduced myself to you guys, though I'm sure you know who I am. But anyway, I'm Katana Ibukishi. Nice to meet you." She said with a grin, shaking Mao's hand.

"Mao Jahana." The teen said, taking an instant liking to Kata's straightforward manner.

"Akihiro Okamura!" The enthusiastic journalist stuck out his hand, and Kata gave a lopsided grin as she shook it.

"Hey, you know that my surname won't help?" She asked, snorting with amusement at his shocked face. "I cover my tracks. I know when people are trying to find out who I am, Okamura, and you are welcome to try it, but honestly my surname won't help. At all. People far better hackers than you have already tried." She laughed, and Okamura's face fell. "Aw, don't beat yourself up about it too much, journalist-boy." She said, patting his shoulder in a consoling manner. Her mouth smiled, but her eyes were cold, unfeeling, and a shiver ran down Okamura's spine. "After all, no one knows who I am."

Abruptly though, she stiffened and glanced out of the window, where the sky was darkening and a strong wind picking up. Her eyes narrowed, as Mao dragged Okamura over to get cake, and she murmured a single word to herself.

"Carl…"

-n/s-

The party was in full swing, but Saya had slipped out as soon as she could without being noticed, and now stood in the dark kitchen, her katana lying on a table nearby, as she leaned silently over the sink, deep in thought.

"Saya." Kai announced his presence and Saya turned, but Kata kept herself hidden in the shadows, interested to see how this would play out. Javier stood, clutching her teddy, in the doorway.

"I wanted to tell you that you're not alone." He said, glancing at the little girl, who blushed and grinned, hiding behind her teddy, before dashing back to her party. Saya smiled after her, before dropping her head and turning back to the sink. Why she was doing that, Kata didn't know.

"Everyone's happy that you came." Kai said, wistful with barely suppressed emotion in his voice. Kai closed his eyes, and then opened them again; steeling himself.

"When we were in Okinawa, that day when Dad baked us a cake out of the blue… Actually, that was for your birthday." He suppressed a laugh, his expression nostalgic. "The cake didn't really work out though…" Kata repressed a sigh. _This is boring. Say something interesting before I announce myself and embarrass the hell out of you both._

"But he made us a feast instead." Saya whispered, finishing the memory, and Kata rolled her eyes. _Joy. Now they're both off on a happy-memory trip. _Kai gasped, before breaking into a smile.

"That sure was fun, wasn't it?" He asked hopefully, while Kata wondered what it was exactly the ginger boy was hoping to get out of this conversation.

"That time was like a dream." Saya said softly, raising her head with a faraway expression on her face. Kata started making a bet with herself about how long Carl could contain himself. _Man, I hope he crashes the party soon. This is getting boring._ Saya frowned. "But now…" Her head lowered again, and Kata had to suppress another sigh.

"I've been thinking… About why we're fighting." Kai said, looking down at his clenched fist. Kata barely managed to stop herself from laughing. _Thinking? Wow, hope that wasn't too painful for you._ "As I looked at Javier and Nahabi, I was thinking…" _More thinking? He's going to kill himself. _"That I used to smile and laugh like that, too…" Kai lowered his fist and turned to gaze out of the window. Saya still hadn't reacted. "Can't we go back to that time?" Kai asked her, genuinely wanting her answer.

_Noooo. Don't be stupid. Saya's ego doesn't allow for that kind of thing, ginger-ninja. I might help you force her though…_ Kata gave an evil grin, unseen by anyone, as Saya's shoulders hunched.

"I am a Chiropteran…so…" Saya said, as Kata rolled her eyes. _Well, duh. Well done._ There was a silence, as neither of them spoke, and Kata was just thinking about breaking the silence when a voice echoed through her mind. It was meant for Saya, but both Kata and Hagi heard it.

"_Saya!_" Saya's head jerked up, eyes wide.

"Phantom!" She exclaimed, turning, while Kata dropped out of the shadows.

"Well, well. Looks like Carl's decided to join the party!" She said with a grin. Kai's eyes widened as he took in Kata.

"You were here the whole time?" He asked, incredulous, and she flashed him a smile. Saya, surprised though she was, was focused; simply grabbing her sword and rushing out. Kata unsheathed her own double blades and followed her, vaguely hearing Kai call out after his sister.

-n/s-

Saya stood, the wind blowing in her hair, facing the Phantom severely. Kata hung back, out of sight, wary of revealing herself to Carl just yet. She knew that soon it wouldn't matter if he saw her, but she was more interested in battling the Corpse Cops she knew he had brought with him for the first time.

"It's been a while, Saya!" The Phantom smiled, madness evident in every particle of his being. "I'm glad I was able to see you tonight." He continued. Saya was resolute; her eyes already aglow with the heat of battle. In a graceful arc, she drew her sword, and aimed it. "On that day, you abandoned yourself to pure anger and madness." He said, closing his eyes with the glee of the memory. "You destroyed anything that moved." Kata paused, also remembering the heat, the blood… the stench of death. "Be it man or beast, you made no distinction." Carl continued, holding his hand out to Saya. "You were so beautiful then." He said, caressing her outline as she glared at him. Kata suppressed a snort. _Beautiful? He has a funny idea of beauty… but I guess I know what he means._ It had been beautiful, in a terrible, bloody way. Far more beautiful than any of the battles humans had fought in the various wars Kata had lived through. "In my eyes, you were a goddess! A being that brings chaos and destruction to the world… a being equal to Diva." Carl said, his voice climaxing as his excitement grew. "I wish to see you like that once more." He said, again holding his hand out to her. "Dance with me tonight! I am mad with passion, as are you." His fangs sliding out as his excitement built.

Clicking his fingers, he spread his arms, a joyous smile lighting up his face.

"Well then, let us begin this party fit for you and me!" He seemed oblivious to the fact that Saya had not answered nor even reacted; as five corpse cops appeared either side of the chevalier. They flashed forwards, and Saya began to raise her sword, but they moved past her before she could do anything. "No one can stop us. This dance is for you and me alone!" Carl exclaimed, dashing forwards brandishing his new arm before Saya could give chase to the Corpse Cops.

Saya managed to bring her sword up to block Carl's attack, glancing back to where the Corpse Cops were heading towards the house, where there were far too many defenceless people.

"Hagi!" She shouted, and her chevalier obeyed; engaging the Corpse Cops in battle. Kata's grin widened, and she was about to join in when the Schiff arrived; Lulu taking first strike. Kata sighed and stepped back. Hagi, holding back one CC with his cello case, glanced back as several shots hit one of the clones in the chest, before with a glow of light exploded. The smoke cleared to reveal Kai and David, standing determinedly in the doorway.

"We'll hold down the fort over here!" Kai yelled, both his and David's faces set. Saya turned back to Carl, satisfied that she wasn't leaving them defenceless.

"You guys…" She trailed off, before lunging at Carl, and their battle commenced. Kata was contemplating joining in; she really wanted to fight a CC, after all, when she saw her perfect opportunity. Moses, the one-eyed pretty boy, had locked blades with one of the CCs, and gave a yell as Karman, the glasses-guy, was surrounded by two. Moses focused on escaping from the one he was fighting; shoving it away from him and rushing forwards to help his friend.

However, before he got there, Kata moved. She moved faster than she would normally allow herself to when in Saya's company; her body blurring so that it was little more than a path of light, accompanied by silver slashes. Seconds later, both CCs began to slide apart into fist sized pieces. Kata stopped, thankful that the CCs didn't spray blood like many of her other opponents, and glanced back to see Moses, Karman and Hagi were in formation, staring at her.

"What?" She asked jauntily, cocking her head to one side. "Hagi, you knew I could move that fast, so don't even pretend you didn't. I'd be more worried about what Carl is doing to your darling Saya, if I were you." Kata pointed with one blade towards the barn, where clouds of dust signalled Saya and Carl's crash landing. David and Kai followed her pointing blade; noticing the sight.

Kata could hear two sounds; the closer, more immediate murmur as Carl told Saya of how he had merely been a test subject; his fate set from the beginning and only kept alive to find out what it meant to be a chevalier. Kata knew all of this of course, and as Carl's telling of it she felt disgust yet again. _Find out what it means to be a chevalier. Hah. All he had to do was ask Nathan. Hell, he could have asked _Diva_. _

The other sound she heard was a lot fainter, but she knew what it was even so; the sound of a car, flooring along the country roads. She knew the presence at the wheel too; Solomon, and she couldn't hide the flicker of a smile that crossed her face at the thought. All of the chess pieces were moving.

She heard Carl's declaration; Saya was all he had left. And she didn't move as Kai rushed into the barn after them, his gun cocked at the ready. She heard the shots, felt Carl's anger that his time with Saya had been interrupted again. Kata didn't pay much attention to it, though she smelt the blood leaking from Kai's shoulder as Carl ripped into his full chiropteran form.

She narrowed her eyes then, suddenly completely focused as Carl exited the barn, Saya rushing afterwards. Saya and Carl clashed, blade to hand, again and again, and still, Kata did nothing. Hagi and the Schiff were engaged with the other CCs, but Kata simply watched attentively, waiting.

"Saya, let us depart together!" Carl rumbled, his voice magnified by his beastly form. "We were both betrayed, even by our families. We are soul mates born unwanted." He finished, as Saya's frown deepened. Kata let out a small sigh. Oh, g_eez, he's got it all wrong…_ "Here I come!" Carl rushed forwards, and Saya ran to meet him, while Kata furiously tried to stop herself from calling out to Carl about the sensibilities of announcing your next move to your opponent.

Kata moved closer, but kept hidden, just out of the way so that Carl would not see her and recognise her. She did not move as Carl managed to get behind Saya, grabbing her sword arm and pulling so she cannot use it. His other arm, his new, grotesque one, cups her face as he leans forward.

"Saya. I'm going to bite the back of your neck and drink all of your blood." Saya's eyes still glowed with unnatural flames; the same colour as the glow in Carl's crazed eyes.

"I might have guessed." Kata breathed, shaking her head.

"You will die, as will I." He said, using his fingers to bare her neck; the long blue appendages surrounding the soft white skin where he planned to bite.

"I…" Saya stopped, still frowning, but now confusion clouded her gaze, and she stopped struggling. Kata rolled her eyes, as Carl rolled out his next over-dramatic sentence.

"Saya, my soul mate born unwanted, let's go to a world all our own!" And then he bit, deeply and messily with his many fangs, and Saya gasped. Kata sighed, narrowing her eyes once more as they began to glow, but she still did not move as Carl began to drink.

There was a silence, the pair of them abruptly still in their twisted embrace, and Kata moved silently closer, waiting. Kai began to yell out, his distress evident; he didn't even call out to Kata, so poised to help, to get a move on; it was his sister's name he called.

"Saya! Saya! Saya! Saya!" Kata watched curiously, as Saya's lethargic expression slowly began to wake up; her blood red eyes opening slowly. Kata readied her blade, but did not move, as Saya gasped, suddenly coming to her senses.

"I.. I can't die here." She said softly, as if the words were a realisation even as she spoke them. A small grin flickered over Kata's face. "I can't lose in this place!" Saya said, determination once more gracing her previously slack features. "I have people I must protect!" She shouted, and Carl broke away from drinking with a shocked noise. Kata was still poised, motionless, with one blade readied.

And then the sign she had been waiting for came; a silver slash, such a clean, quick cut that it was a few seconds before the blood spurted from Carl's arm. Knowing it was falling off, she flashed forwards. Saya, glancing up, saw what Kata meant to do in an instant, and helped her with a cry of rage.

Then, everything was still once more, as Saya shook with pain and Carl gasped. Blood trailing from his mouth, almost black. And then it became apparent to him what Kata and Saya had done, together. A silver, gleaming blade, trailing his blood, protruded from his back, passing through his stomach and then Saya's.

Kata stood, her hands on the hilt, having pushed the blade through Saya to kill Carl. Saya's hands rested on top of her friends, having grabbed the handle and brought it through her, coating it with her precious blood, together with Kata.

Carl gave another moan, and cracking sounds could be heard as he began to crystallize; the effects of Saya's blood coursing down his throat and entering his bloodstream from the stab. His stump dripped, and both him and Saya dropped to the ground as he groaned once more.

His eyes roved upwards as Kata sank with them, not about to relinquish her hold on her blade, and she saw the recognition in his eyes.

"You…" He said, his eyes widening with his final movements, the rapid crystallisation effect speeding up.

"I'm sorry Carl. I've never liked you, but I am sorry for the way you have had to live, for you having to die in this way. But you see, I couldn't let you live, Carl." She answered softly, Saya's eyes, still glowing, flashing up to her face in confusion.

"Himi…" He breathed, before turning towards the culprit of his lost arm, and murmuring his name too; "Solomon…" He gasped, and finally the stone reached his face, his red eyes the last thing to fade, and then he died.

Solomon stood behind him, his eyes closed in pain, his bladed hand held in front of him, but not readied for battle. He regained his human hand as Carl began to crumble, his eyes still closed. Solomon shook his head and opened his eyes, regret defining every feature as Carl broke apart.

"Carl…" He murmured. "Poor Carl…" He said, his voice stronger. Saya glared at him as Carl finally collapsed into stone pieces around her, and seemed about to speak when a blue flash alerted her to the three remaining Corpse Cops. Her eyes widening, she began to try and pull Kata's blade from her, but Kata held it there; refusing to budge, and simply watched Solomon's face apathetically.

The blonde moved forwards and knelt, facing Kata and Saya. Kata did not move, still watching his face, as he added his own hand to the pile on her sword.

"You're forcing it." He said softly, cupping Saya's face with his hand and seemingly oblivious to Kata's presence on the other side of him. "If you pull it out forcefully, you'll injure yourself inside." He explained, while Saya gazed at him with glowing eyes in puzzlement. Solomon gripped her shoulder. "We can't let that happen, even if it is you." And then as one, Kata and Solomon pulled her blade from Saya's stomach with a clean sweeping movement, Solomon pausing as he suddenly seemed to realise who was also holding the handle.

Kata and Solomon stared at each other, unmoving, over the handle that they both gripped between them; Solomon's face the picture of suppressed amazement and surprise, her own calculating and shielded, as Saya let out a yell of agony and curled herself over her wound even as it began to heal; the blood staining her cream dress halting in its tracks.

Slowly, his pale blue eyes still fixed on Kata's face, Solomon relinquished his hold on her blade, and with a practised movement she sheathed it. Both glanced up as Hagi, everyone else in tow, ran up.

"Saya!" Hagi yelled, his pace increasing as Saya slowly sat up, her arms still curled around her abdomen.

"Go home to your beds!" Solomon commanded, and the Corpse Cops obediently vanished. Kata turned to see Hagi kneeling beside his queen, one hand supportively on her back as she looked up at Solomon, Kai, David and the Schiff standing behind her amongst the crystal remains of Carl.

"Why did you…" Saya gasped, speaking through her teeth at the pain. Kata's mismatched eyes shot to Solomon's face, as Solomon glanced down and answered.

"I… I envied Carl. He lived only according to his passion. That was his way." Solomon knelt and gently collected one of the pieces that had once been his brother.

"But you were mistaken." Kata spoke, and everyone but Solomon jolted as she reminded them of her presence. Solomon's hand flexed, and the lump of Carl shattered into dust. He glanced up at Kata in agreement.

"He was simply lonely." She stated, and he nodded, standing. Kata's eyes found Saya's face, as her friend gazed at her. "And I suppose he thought that you, who were so isolated, felt the same way." Kata said softly. Saya's eyes widened.

"Me?" She asked, her eyes still glowing red. Hagi helped Saya stand, his eyes only on her as Solomon took over.

"But, you're different from Carl." A small smile widened on Kata's lips as Solomon spoke, and it was clear that she agreed completely. "You have friends who look after you." Solomon said, his gaze turning to the serious faces of Kai and David, and then the Schiff, before his eyes found Lewis, Okamura, Mao, Monique, Gray and the two children, standing on the hilltop in front of the house, watching. "And yet you chose to isolate yourself of your own accord, for the sake of your friends…" Solomon continued, his eyes returning to Saya's face. He let out a chuckle, his eyes dropping once more.

"But Carl didn't realise that until you said so." Kata said, her voice showing exactly how silly she thought he was. Solomon ignored the interruption, speaking almost to himself as his fist clenched over the grains of rock left over from Carl that still sat in his palm.

"Wrapped in loneliness, he turned his eyes from all the inconvenient truths, and he didn't notice I was there for him. This is how I see him." Solomon finished, his hand trembling, and his eyes shining with unspoken emotion. Solomon suddenly raised his head, his voice business like.

"In a week's time, Diva will head to Christina Island." Saya gasped, and Solomon dropped his fist.

"She what?" Kata blurted, looking extremely confused, as Saya glanced at her.

"You didn't know that, Kata?" She asked, and Kata frowned, thoughts racing, as she shook her head. Solomon shot her another surprised glance.

"Kata… I see. I don't believe we've met." Solomon said, and she flashed him a sardonic grin.

"Not in this lifetime." She said, and she saw from the flash of amusement in his eyes that Solomon caught the irony.

"Well, whether you believe me or not... Decide that for yourself." He resumed, turning to face Kata once more.

"Why are you telling me this?" Saya asked, confusion battling pain as Hagi still supported her to make sure she didn't collapse. Solomon averted his gaze, as a wind began to blow.

"Perhaps I, too, am lonely…" He whispered, before with another gust of wind and a blue blur he disappeared. Saya shielded her face from the debris blowing about, and when she lowered her arm Kata was offering her her sword which she'd dropped during her fight. Kai rushed forwards as Saya took the blade grimly.

"Saya! Are you going there?" He asked. As Kata moved to stand next to Hagi, gesturing to him to open the cello case so she could retrieve both hers and Saya's jackets. The chevalier compliantly did so, keeping an ear on the conversation, just as Kata was.

"I have to defeat Diva!" Saya said, her eyes even more determined than before.

"This isn't just your fight alone! This is our fight, too!" Kai exclaimed, raw emotion seething beneath his voice as Kata helped Saya put her jacket on; hers already zipped up over her striped dress. Hagi watched, waiting for his queen's decision. "I want to protect you!" Kai cried passionately, Saya gasped, the battle glow finally fading from her eyes.

"You know, as much as I hate to say this, he's kind of right." Kata shuddered and pretended to be violently sick, suddenly breaking the tension as Kai's expression soured. "If people want to help and get themselves violently killed in the process, then hey, who are we to stop them? They're all tied to this somehow, and you shouldn't begrudge them their right to take part in it, Saya. You're not the only one who is seeking revenge. So Kai's right." Kata said softly, her words heard by only her and Hagi.

"He's an idiot, but he's right." Saya agreed, trembling, and Kata turned to leave.

"Wait!" Saya cried, turning and running after her friend, who paused, looking back at Saya.

"He called you Himi. Carl did." She stated, looking at Kata expectantly. Kai frowned to himself, murmuring the name as something tickled the back of his mind.

"Yes. Yes, he did." Kata agreed; waiting for Saya to ask.

"Well? Why?" Saya finally demanded, realising that Kata was not about to venture the information on her own.

"Because that's what he thought my name was. I told you I have ways of getting information, right? Well I interrogated him, obviously." Kata explained, and Saya frowned. Something was off, and although she couldn't put her finger on it she knew Kata wasn't telling the whole truth. And she saw that Kata knew that Saya knew that, but she wasn't doing anything.

"Really, Kata, who are you?" Saya sighed, only half hoping for the answer. Kata smiled, but her eyes were cold.

"Well, everyone seems to want to know the answer to that question. Don't worry; I'm not being mean. Nobody knows." Kata said, repeating her words to Okamura from earlier.

"Nobody?" Saya asked quizzically, and Kata's head tipped to one side.

"Well, one person. One person in the entire world knows. But I didn't tell that person; they found out by themselves. I've never told anybody."

* * *

**So, there it is! I told you I wouldn't take so long, didn't I! XD**

**It's sad though; there was no Nathan/Ibukishi interaction in this... I'm going to have to pack the next chapter with them!**

**Hope you enjoyed, please read and review.**


	21. Chapter 20 : Who the Hell is Christina?

**Chapter 20 - Who the Hell is Christina Anyway?**

"I am alone." Saya said aloud, opening her eyes.

"Say what?" Kata jumped, her fast reflexes catching her pocky before it hit the ground and placing it back in her mouth.

"How is it?" Saya asked, ignoring Kata's comment. Kata turned to look at Hagi's expressionless face before answering for him.

"No good!" She sang. "Nobody wants to take you there. They're reluctant to approach the island." Kata explained, ignoring the sour look she got in return.

"Can we not approach them?" Hagi asked softly, and Saya's shoulder hunched. Nobody needed further explanation as to who 'they' were.

"No!" Saya exclaimed, and Kata jumped again; this time calming her 'nerves' with three more pocky. "Kai and the others will jump in again!"

"Damn right they will." Kata observed, in complete agreement. Saya straightened, both she and Hagi ignoring Kata, who pouted sulkily.

"Hagi?"

"Yes?"

"This is our fight alone." Saya stated, and with that, Kata snapped.

"Oh. My. Fucking. God." Kata enunciated clearly, and Saya stood, surprised. Kata wasn't exactly what you would call polite, but even she was rarely quite this foul mouthed.

"Kata?"

"You are really starting to piss me off, you hear?" Kata yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Saya. "You're pathetic! I come back and find you, even after you slashed my _face_ open, and what do I find? You being wimpy and scared, but I stick with it, because I love you. I go through with your stupid schemes to keep your brothers safe, I help you take care of Riku, I stop myself from killing Kai! And then I wake you up, and I thought _maybe_ you'd apologise. I thought _maybe_ all of that time with your idiotic little family might have woken you up and made you see what a complete, utter _lie_ it is that you're living. And you don't even realise it." Kata hissed, disgusted.

Saya's eyes were wide, shocked, and even Hagi could not keep his face completely expressionless.

"Well, you know what? I've _had _it. I am sick of this, you have no idea how sick of this I am. I have been fighting with you for nearly a hundred years, playing along with your lies. OPEN YOUR EYES, SAYA!" Kata screamed, as a van drew up behind them, and Kai clambered out. Hearing Kata's angry shouts he rushed up, frowning, but even he was stopped by her torrent of words.

"You do this and do this and do this over and over and over and over again! You know I've actually had to fight you to stay with you? You bring people close, you accept their help, and then you selfishly say that 'you don't want anybody to get hurt'. Well that's utter bullshit, isn't it? You might not want people to get hurt, but it's not because of their pain that you don't want it to happen." Kata continued, and Saya was pleading with her eyes for her to stop. But Kata didn't stop.

"You don't want anybody to get hurt because _you_ don't want to feel that guilt. Well guess what, Saya? Life is a bucket load of shit like this, for _everyone_, so stop being such a victim and go with the fucking Red Shield, alright?" Still scowling, she brushed past Kai and seemed about to leave without a backward glance, before she paused. She did not look back, but she didn't leave, as the tears ran down Saya's face.

"They're going to involve themselves with or without you, and if you don't fight with them they are all going to die." Kata said quietly. By this time, Lewis had got out of the car also to watch the fighting match. Now, Kata looked back, her eyes filled with pain.

"You are so lucky, Saya. These people would die for you; that's how much they care. You have a _life_ that you can actually live. And you're throwing it all away." Kata whispered, before she turned and ran away. Saya didn't see, but just before she turned Hagi could have sworn he saw tears glistening in her eyes.

-n/s-

"That was quite an impressive little show there, my queen." Nathan said, amused, and Riku looked up from where he was reading on the hotel bed.

"Ibukishi!" Riku exclaimed happily, standing up. She gave him a hug; almost collapsing on the smaller boy, and it was only when he felt the warm wetness seeping into his shoulder that he realised she was crying.

He had gotten much better at being able to tell what Ibukishi needed; by watching Nathan, by watching her in her frequent but short trips to see him. And he knew that right at that moment, she just needed to be held by someone, and cry.

-n/s-

Riku watched as Nathan brushed the hair back from Ibukishi's sleeping face; which was blotchy and tear stained from crying.

"I wonder what made her so upset…" Riku commented softly, and the older chevalier glanced up at him, a funny little smile quirking around his lips.

"This. This mess, as I seem to recall you putting it." Riku blinked, before matching the reference; when Ibukishi had come back from shopping and sword practice, and they'd talked about pocky, and then she'd sung for them both. Riku frowned; he didn't remember Nathan being there for that, but before he could ask, Nathan spoke again.

"You know, she's never let anyone see her cry." He mused, and Riku's frown deepened.

"You mean she's never cried like that… with you?" He asked curiously, and Nathan sat up, surprised.

"Oh, no, of course she's done that. Many, many times." He said with a grin. "But she did that. Buried her face in my shoulder. I don't think anybody has actually seen the tears slip from her eyes." He continued softly, seeming to almost gaze past Riku; seeing something entirely different.

Ibukishi gave a small moan, her head suddenly jerking to one side as her eyes began to rove crazily behind her sleeping lids.

Then a small frown quirked over Ibukishi's features, and she muttered to herself, forehead creasing, before abruptly thrashing out to the side again. Riku blinked and rose slightly.

"Is she having a nightmare…?"

"_The sword's not sliding from the sheath as it should. Get me a new one." The man in front of her is tall, and well built. She knows him; recognises him. They are… they were comrades._

_The same man, the comfortingly familiar weight of his guiding hand on her shoulder…_

The scenes begin to flicker faster through her brain; a glimpse of a person here, a view there. A moan escaped Ibukishi's lips, and Riku anxiously leant forwards.

_Now she is running her fingers along the cracks in between the tiles on the floor, catching their scent. The recently cleaned floor tells her of the blood that had splashed there. _

She knows what will happen next, and she tries to cry out to herself, the images flickering ever faster…

Nathan looked up at Riku's anxious face, his expression darkening.

"Riku. Get out." He said, his voice low. Riku's eyes flickered to Ibukishi's sweating face, before Nathan shouted.

"GET OUT!" He yelled, and Riku, terrified, ran.

_People screaming, blood flying…_

_She feels better now; pursuing her prey is natural for her…_

_People follow her around, hope on their faces… why? Does she look like a saviour? Why can they not understand that they are a hindrance? _

"_You might need it. You can kill yourself as a last resort." The words are indifferent. She will not take much more of this… She is so close to cracking… _

_That man… the only one whom she trusted… he is her enemy. No. No. Why? Why him? But she will do what she was made to do…_

"_You're lucky. I can't kill humans." Can't she? No… no, she can't. _

_Screw that, yes she can. She cracked._

With a gut-wrenching scream, Ibukishi's eyes flashed open; glowing with unnatural light. Instantly Nathan's arms were on her shoulders, restraining her violent movement and calming her down simultaneously until she was still, gasping, in his arms.

Slowly, Ibukishi calmed down, and she slipped from Nathan's embrace, standing and stretching. Nathan leant back onto her pillows, grinning softly; as if amused at his own private joke.

"My, my, you're quite emotional today, my little princess." She glanced him with her mismatched eyes.

"Why do you call me that?" She asked suddenly, cocking her head.

"Call you what?" He asked innocently; also slightly wary as mostly when his queen questioned him like that it meant she was going to hurt him.

"'Princess.'" Nathan blinked at her, before his mouth curved once more into his usual slightly sarcastic grin.

"'_Little _princess.'" He corrected, but Ibukishi did not react and continued staring at him inscrutably. "Oh, fine, I'll tell you, just don't rip my head off okay? I've just had my hair done. I call you 'princess' because Saya and Diva are queens." He said with a sigh and a vain pat to his curls.

"What does that have to do with it?" Ibukishi asked with a frown.

"Well, you're their little sister, so you have a title, don't you? But you're not really a queen… Princess seemed very appropriate." He finished with a shrug, and Ibukishi merely looked contemplative.

"I… said things I shouldn't have. To Saya." She murmured, seating herself once more on the bed. Nathan shrugged.

"All deserved, in my opinion. She's been very unfair to you, after all." Nathan supplied, scratching the side of his face with a manicured nail.

"Not on purpose, Nathan. Not on purpose." She said softly, and his smile widened.

"Well, everything is moving into place now. You should apologise to Saya, and then see Diva, 'kay? And we need to decide what on earth we're going to do about Solomon!" Nathan exclaimed, but at that Ibukishi merely smiled, and made to leave, abruptly assuming her persona as Kata as easily as breathing. One breath; Ibukishi. Next breath; Kata. The transitions were more fluid than ever, Nathan noticed, as Kata opened the door.

"Oh, don't worry about that little blonde. I always plan ahead." She said with a smile, and Nathan admired her for her courage. Lesser persons would have wallowed after a crying session like hers, not gone straight back into the action. But then again, lesser persons would have given up long ago.

"Do you really? Or are you just spontaneous, my queen?" Nathan wondered aloud, despite the fact that Kata had long since left and could no longer hear him. "Or just horrendously luck and unlucky all in one go?"

-n/s-

Solomon turned as he heard the angry clack of heels that signified Himi's approach; and sure enough she came wheeling around the corner, a furious expression on her face.

"You are an unbelievable imbecile, Solomon." She smiled sweetly at him by way of greeting, and he frowned.

"Himi…" She turned and leant back gracefully against the wall of the corridor, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

"Diva is not on Christina Island anymore. She's here, and if you feel for her then you should sense her." Himi answered, and Solomon's eyes widened and then instantly narrowed again as he realised her words to be true; Diva was inside the room he was heading towards, with Amshel.

"What…" He gasped, reeling backwards as Himi pushed herself off the wall and advanced.

"It was a trap, set by Amshel, to see if you would tattle. And you did… And Diva is heading to New York. Do you know who is waiting for Saya there?" Himi asked curiously, tipping her head as she appraised Solomon's horror-struck expression. "James Ironside. And a whole troop of Corpse Cops. Even though she is supported by the Red Shield and the Schiff, her chance of success is very low. You realise that, don't you?" She asked him, still advancing as he backed up.

"Yes. I realise…" He trailed off, coming to a halt, and Himi did likewise as Nathan appeared at her shoulder, grinning sardonically.

"If you realise that, then get going. Go and help, Solomon." She said, the ring of command echoing through her voice, and Solomon stared at her for a few seconds, before his face relaxed into a smile.

"Yes!" And with that, the young man turned and disappeared with a blue blur. Himi sighed, as Nathan chuckled.

"Well, that's interesting. He is quite besotted, isn't he?" Himi glanced at him.

Then she turned and left, heading towards Diva, leaving Nathan in a crumpled heap on the floor behind her.

-n/s-

Kata stood just out of the circle of light, in the doorway of the abandoned house. Nathan was further behind her, hidden, as they watched Saya and the others, Solomon included, all facing a chair with a single blue rose lying on it.

"Why?" Saya asked, staring at the empty chair where, Kata knew, Diva had been sitting a few hours ago.

"I have something I have to tell you." Solomon said, and looked at him attentively; him in his white suit, the jacket slung over his arm. "By the time you arrived on this island, Diva had already left. He figured out that I would tell you about Diva's schedule. It was my brother's plan." Solomon finished, as Saya glanced up at him.

"Brother?" She asked curiously, looking him full in the face. A light breeze rustled through the open window, blowing loose a few of the scattered blue petals.

"Amshel Goldsmith." Solomon answered, and there was an answering grunt of surprise from the assembled Red Shield members. Saya's eyes narrowed as she remembered the man; from her days at the Zoo. She had never liked Amshel, not even then.

"Amshel, the eldest brother, who leads Diva's chevaliers." Kata supplied, walking in and making her presence know. Everyone turned with another jolt, everyone but Solomon glaring at her; Kai had filled the others in on the fight Kata had picked with Saya. Kata laughed.

"I seem to have somewhat crashed the party, huh?" She said wryly to Solomon, who blinked at her. She grinned again, before turning and leaving the building. Solomon curiously followed her, a frown on his face and the others, exchanging a confused glance, trailed after him.

They stood outside, staring down at the ocean, and a long silence passed before Solomon broke it.

"Diva's probably preparing to go to New York by now." Solomon said softly.

"New York?" David asked, surprise colouring his tone.

"Yes. She plans to perform her concerts there." Kata answered, as Saya studiously avoided looking at her friend. There was a small silence, before Solomon turned back to face Saya.

"Well then, I'll be leaving…"

"Wait, Solomon…" Saya stepped forwards, her hand coming up in protest. Kata shot her a surprised glance, as did Hagi. "Why?" She asked, her forehead creasing with her frown. "Despite being my enemy…" Solomon looked surprised, before he smiled with a small chuckle and turned back.

"Because I fell in love with you." He answered, shutting his eyes. A smile flickered over Kata's lips, but nobody saw it; all were focused on the chevalier in front of them. Solomon opened his eyes, his expression almost sly. "Would that be a sufficient answer?" He asked, and Saya blinked; her mouth parted in shock. Hagi stepped in front of her, and Kata rolled her eyes at his protectiveness. Solomon gave another small laugh.

"I wish you wouldn't glare at me like that."

"Don't we all, don't we all." Kata said with a sigh, once again breaking the tension. Solomon's gaze flickered to her face curiously, but he didn't say anything.

"I'm on Saya's side. I don't intend to compete with you." Kata snorted loudly; making it quite clear what her sentiments were on that statement, but didn't say anything. She didn't have to; her expression quite clearly said 'bullshit' in response to Solomon.

"Well, excuse me." The wind ruffled, and Solomon left.

"Well, that was fun." Kata commented dryly, and she was met with stony silence. With a roll of her eyes, she strode forwards, ignoring the rest of them, and placed a hand on Saya's shoulder.

"Look, I'm sorry." She murmured softly. "I… said some things I shouldn't have." Saya frowned, before her gaze dropped.

"I'm sorry too, Kata. I've been… very unfair to you. To all of you." She said, her gaze encompassing the rest of them.

"Okay, let's just… call it even, okay?" Kata laughed, holding out her hand for Saya to shake, and her friend did so, grinning.

-n/s-

Kata had refused to leave with the Red Shield, saying with a little smile that she 'had a couple of things to take care of'. Kai, assuming she meant graffiti, had exchanged a grin with her and told the others he would explain it to them later.

So now, Ibukishi stood at the lip of the huge tunnel that James had fallen down. Nathan leant his chin on Ibukishi's shoulder and got an elbow in the face for his trouble. Nursing his nose, he stepped back with an exasperated look on his face.

"So. Amshel sent me here to 'retrieve' James." Nathan stated, his expression jeering as he waited to see what Ibukishi would do.

"Yes. Get him up." She said, her lips curving up in a smile, and with a shrug, Nathan obliged; jumping down into the hole as his eyes began to glow the colour of blood. Ibukishi turned away from the sinkhole thoughtfully, delving into the pocket of Kata's jacket to find a pocky. Placing it in her mouth, she began to walk leisurely away, ignoring Nathan's pointed remarks about the state of his nails.

She leant against a big steel railing, the pocky tipping upwards. Taking it from her mouth suddenly, she frowned.

"Christina Island… who the hell is 'Christina' anyway?" She wondered with a shake of her head as a grumbling Nathan emerged from the hole, what was left of James under his arm; which is to say his head and torso, and not much else.

"Here." Ibukishi reached down and picked up the test tube Amshel had given to Nathan to transport James if the worst came to the worst with one hand and chucked it at Nathan, who also caught it one handed and pushed James into the liquid that floated there, deftly attaching a breathing device to James's slack jaw. Withdrawing his hand from the orange liquid and shaking it in disgust, he sealed the tube.

"Eeew!" he exclaimed girlishly, hoisting the container up on his shoulder and approaching his queen. "That was quite revolting."

"Oh, shut up, Nathan." Ibukishi rolled her eyes, finishing her pocky off with a snap and standing upright, hands still in pockets.

"Would you mind telling me what you're planning for Solomon? He's seen you twice as 'Kata' now, hasn't he?" Nathan asked, and Ibukishi grinned.

"He won't tattle. Not immediately, anyway. First, he'll try to find out what is going on; he probably doesn't completely understand it."

"How can you be so sure he won't tell?" Nathan asked, starting to sort out his hair.

"Because his loyalty to Amshel is wavering. His allegiance lies with Saya, and he needs to figure out how his information about me can help, or not help." She smiled again, before leaving and leaving Nathan to lug James to New York, where Diva was already waiting.

-n/s-

Diva's singing echoed around the garden, weaving in and out of the white pillars; entangled with blue roses. Nathan, sitting at a white garden table, had his eyes shut as he listened and was conducting with one hand. Himi, once more in her sailor-suit, sat on top of the table, watching as her friend danced around the wide garden.

Suddenly, she came to a stop, the last echoes of her voice lingering behind even as Diva closed her eyes and stared at the floor. Nathan's eyes opened, and he got up, curious.

"What's wrong?" He asked, coming to stand behind her on the path, but she didn't move. He cocked his head. "Diva?" Diva turned, reaching out with her pale hands to hold Nathan's neck. His eyes widened, and Himi felt a flare of terror coming from her chevalier before he squashed it. Diva continued to advance, pulling Nathan down so that she could reach his neck, and abruptly Himi found herself on her feet, eyes blazing as she watched her friend bite the neck of her chevalier.

However, she too, like Nathan, was adept at hiding such emotions, and she slowly calmed herself, sitting down. Diva, caught up in her feed, hadn't noticed Himi's sudden burst of emotion, but Nathan had.

"This is wonderful… My blood becoming part of the queen's; this is a moment of bliss for a chevalier." Nathan murmured, tipping his head back, as Himi's mismatched eyes narrowed. She watched, as still as stone, as Nathan's hand suddenly flexed, a look of panic crossing his features.

"Diva… Wait, Diva…" Nathan repeated, his panic flaring. He grasped her shoulders and tried to pull him from her, but the blue-eyed queen wouldn't budge, her cerulean eyes as unyielding as diamonds. "Wait a moment, this is too much… If you keep going, I'll get sucked dry." Nathan protested, trying not to show his anger too clearly for fear of retribution. Himi's fists clenched, unable to prevent the burst of…_jealousy_? The realisation of what the emotion was shocked her, and she shook her head to try and clear it. _Jealous? Why would I…_ She looked up, and upon seeing Diva still drinking from her chevalier, her fists clenched once more. _He is mine._

Where Nathan had failed, Himi was strong enough to pull Diva from Nathan's neck, and her friend's glowing blue eyes met Himi's questioningly.

"If you drink so much, how will he protect your children?" She asked her by way of excuse, and Diva relaxed, while Nathan fell to the floor, his hand upon the fast healing wound on his neck. Using the white sleeve of her shirt to wipe her mouth, she smiled at Nathan and Himi, before twirling off, singing once more.

Nathan looked up at Himi, surprised, but she would not meet his gaze, and then the attention of both was claimed by the arrival of Amshel. Nathan turned to face the man, but Amshel's eyes were fixed upon his queen; he did not even greet Himi.

"It seems that Diva made quite a feast of you." Amshel stated, and Nathan grinned, apparently recovered, and Himi could not hold back a small shudder of relief.

"She's been so tense lately… Diva, that is." Nathan supplied, his mouth still smiling as he shot a pointed glance at Himi. She ignored him, her eyes trained on Amshel. Nathan turned back to watch Diva as she twirled around a column once more.

"I wonder how the other queen deals with such matters?" he asked without real interest; he knew from Kata that Saya took blood transfusions, as he stood up, dusting himself off.

-n/s-

Diva was still looping around the posts supporting the gazebo in the centre of the garden, Himi playing with her, both giggling. Amshel watched them both, before Nathan interrupted him by placing a bottle of wine down on the table. Amshel glanced up in question, and Nathan held up two wine glasses with a smirk.

"You seem like her father whenever you're watching her." Nathan said, watching Amshel's reaction with glee.

"I am nothing more than one of her admirers." He stated, and Himi had to prevent herself from bursting out laughing at the statement. _What a lie!_ Amshel's gaze returned to Diva. "I look forward to the moment when she will shine forth from the stage." Nathan began to pour the wine, as Amshel turned to look at him once more. "You as well, correct?"

"I merely wish to let Diva give her best performance, singing on the greatest stage of all." He poured the wine out and examined the bottle. "That's all." He placed the bottle down and picked up his glass, his voice still light; giving no hint of the seriousness of what he was doing.

"I would like to ask you one thing, though." Nathan sat, and Amshel turned to him once more.

"What is it?" Amshel asked; despite Nathan's pretence, Amshel could tell that Nathan was interrogating him.

"What's your wish?" Nathan asked, and as Himi looped around a pillar she had to press her hands to her mouth to hold back her giggle.

"Diva's wish is my wish." Amshel asked, and instantly Himi's face was set, frowning. _More lies._ Nathan was watching Amshel out of the corner of his eye, looking devious, as his eyes returned once more to Diva and Himi; now holding hands as they wandered about. He could tell Himi was listening.

"Then you should have brought Saya's chevalier to Diva earlier." Nathan said accusingly, but Amshel brushed it aside;

"If Diva had wished for it, I would have done so. However, Diva did not choose him." Diva wondered off, into the shadows of the trees, but Himi stayed in plain sight of the pair, simply watching Diva go with a gentle smile.

"Oh, I see… That's too bad."

"I have been working hard, moving the world for the sake of Diva's happiness. That will remain the same." Amshel said, suddenly feeling the need to redeem himself from Nathan's accusing tone. His eyes narrowed, as Nathan took a sip of wine, thoroughly amused. "I will eliminate those who stand in the way. That is all." Nathan, sensing the presence after only Himi did, swivelled his gaze to peek at Amshel, curious and teasing at the same time.

"Then… does that include Solomon?" Himi had already spotted the chevalier in mention, approaching Diva, and in a flash, she was beside her friend. Diva kept her eyes upon Solomon, smiling. He stopped just in front of her, with such a tender expression on his face that for a moment Himi wondered if she'd miscalculated. Solomon knelt and kissed Diva's hand, ignoring Himi completely.

"It's been too long." He said softly, and Himi tilted her head, appraising him carefully as his face suddenly turned sombre.

"Solomon." Amshel spoke, and Himi turned to see him approaching, Nathan standing behind him shrugging in a comical manner. "What is your business here now?" Solomon stood, his face now guarded, and looked past the smaller form of Diva to Amshel.

"I came to speak to Diva." He stated firmly.

"Speak to her?" Amshel asked, coming to a halt. Solomon's eyes returned once more to his queen.

"Indeed. To speak of the distant past and the imminent future. Do you remember the day that I first met you?" Diva turned to walk away, as if disinterested, before looking back over her shoulder.

"You were wearing white, right?" She asked, her expression still calm and serene. Only Himi realised that Diva knew what Solomon meant by wearing his black suit; and it upset her. Solomon shut his eyes.

"Yes. It was near the end of the first World War." Himi rolled her eyes and stepped back, skipping away from Diva and Solomon to Nathan.

"Himi?" He asked curiously, as she stopped and leant against the pillar he stood near.

"He's reminiscing. I _hate_ reminiscing." Himi said in a bored tone, and Nathan chuckled. She stepped on his foot surreptitiously, and he winced. Himi wasn't heavy, but rather than stepping she had more _stomped_. Amshel was watching Diva, as she played with the vine of blue roses that was entwined around the pillar, an attentive look on his face. Nathan, in an attempt to keep his dignity, had crossed his arms and was watching with a sly smile on his face, as both he and Himi pretended to listen as Solomon rattled on about is inner peace and his general psychology.

The five were almost information; Solomon facing the other four in an almost triangle shape; Amshel, standing to his left, Nathan and Himi almost straight ahead and Diva to his right. Solomon continued as Diva bent to pick up the blue rose she had dropped earlier.

"For the first time, I was able to find peace. But even in our world, there was still conflict…The conflict between you and Saya." He trailed off as Diva raised her head from the bloom she held; a single petal in her mouth. Diva released the petal from the confines of her jaw, and spoke for the first time.

"Sister Saya is the one who wants to fight." Diva said, and Solomon could do nothing but agree.

"Yes. But I cannot think of her as an enemy…" He trailed off as Diva's expression grew reproving. She held her arms out, in a final appeal, but only Himi could really see how much it hurt her to have yet another chevalier leave her for her twin.

"She tries to kill me." Solomon looked away, unable to meet her blue eyes.

"I know that." Diva dropped her arms, the blue rose fluttering from her fingers, and dropped her head.

"Do you…" She began, and Solomon turned to look at her as her long, dark hair suddenly fell from her back; her voice at once less childish, less like Riku's. "Really like Saya?" She asked, her eyes only half open as she scrutinised the blonde, along with the rest of them. Solomon looked up.

"I love her. And so I want her to live on." He stated, and Himi pursed her lips in sympathy.

"Even if it means my death?" Diva asked, her voice still light as she leapt away from the column. Solomon looked up, but Diva's gaze was directed at the floor; once more her hair was short, her form was Riku's. She gave a boyish laugh.

"I won't be killed. I also want to live together with Sister Saya." She said, and Himi's eyes widened as she took an involuntary step forwards. "But you know, even more than that," Diva looked up, meeting Solomon's gaze once more. "I want to kill Sister Saya." She turned, smiling. "Do as you wish." She said carelessly, flashing forwards to bury her face in Amshel's chest. He looked down at her, but didn't raise his arms to comfort her, and Himi's eyes narrowed.

"From today on, you are no longer my Chevalier." She turned her head to look at Solomon out of the corner of her eye. "Solomon is the chevalier who has strayed from his path. Nathan was looking at Solomon quizzically, but he quickly resumed a slightly more normal expression when Himi stamped on his foot again. Diva turned from Amshel, frowning at Solomon severely.

"But I'll tell you this. No matter how hard you try, you can never be Saya's chevalier." She said, before her face suddenly broke into a deviously cruel grin.

"If you wish to have her, then take her hand and have her bear your children." Himi giggled, flashing forwards to wrap her arms around Diva, who laughed, before running off towards the house. Himi let her go, smiling after her, before moving to stand next to Nathan once more.

"Do you expect to walk out of here just like this?" Amshel asked severely, and Himi sighed, moving to perch on the white garden table, knocking the wine and glasses carelessly onto the floor. Nathan followed her, as they watched the fight unfold between Solomon and Amshel.

It was only when there was a huge v-shaped crater in the garden and several pillars had been destroyed that Himi grew bored of it.

"Nathan, stop them." She commanded, her voice low so that neither Amshel nor Solomon would hear her. Nathan clapped his hands as Solomon came to land from his jump behind Amshel.

"That's enough!" Nathan said cheerfully, and both chevaliers halted; glancing back to see him sitting with one leg up, on the table, Himi kneeling behind him and using his head to rest her elbows on. "This is my home, you know?" Nathan continued, holding his hands out. "If you do any more damage, I'll have to look for a new place for us to live…" His voice lowered, with just a hint of menace. "And besides…" He turned to point through one of the many windows of the house. Everyone's eyes flickered towards the sight he was indicating; James, or what was left of him, sleeping in his test tube, while Diva slumbered next to him; leaning on the container.

"James…" Solomon said, surprised and yet at the same time not.

"They're both fast asleep," Himi said, as as one both her and Nathan turned back to face the other two.

"Solomon, you said you loved Saya, did you not?" Amshel asked, striding forwards.

"Yes." Solomon agreed, and Amshel paused, turning slightly to glance back over his shoulder.

"That's because the chevalier's blood inside you desires her. Defensiveness flared in Solomon's eyes.

"If that is indeed so, wouldn't that mean that our love for Diva is just chevalier's instinct? I still care for Diva, very much. I am proud to have served as her chevalier. But I… have my own life to live, and I choose to live it with Saya, as Solomon Goldsmith." Amshel turned to face him properly.

"Solomon. If you truly love Saya, then you should kill her before we kill her ourselves." He stated, and Solomon turned and left with no further words.

Himi stood up, still on the table, and both Amshel and Nathan glanced at her as she stretched.

"Well, he's rather long winded, isn't he?"

-n/s-

"Kata, how did you get here?"

"Nice to see you too." Kata observed wryly, pushing past the surprised David and entering the apartment. Everyone looked up, just as surprised, as she strode in.

"Kata!" Kai exclaimed, standing. "How did you get here?"

"Oh, geez, is it really that important? I flew, if you really want to know." She sighed, turning to face the assembled people with her hands on her hips. "First class. Very nice flight."

"I think what Kai means is, how did you get _here_? How did you find us? And we haven't seen you for more than a month, girl!" Lewis laughed, and Kata grinned.

"Well, I was busy. Oh, sorry about your apartment, by the way. Hope you didn't have anything important in there!" Kata smirked at Okamura's shocked face.

"How did you…?" David began, and to his surprise, she answered.

"Heard it on the grapevine. You know, it was in the news. Didn't take me long to track down who was living there."

"How did you find us, anyway?" Kai asked. Mao and Okamura had been told the address; they were trying to lie low for a while. Kata snorted.

"Oh, don't flatter yourselves. You're not hard to find. I just follow the smell." She said, but before anybody could argue, she looked around.

"Where's Saya? And Mao?" She asked, not bothering to specify Hagi seeing as he would probably be with Saya. Kai opened his mouth to answer her, but at that moment the door at the end of the hallway opened, revealing a determined looking Mao shoving Hagi out.

"You man, get out!" She exclaimed, as Kata burst out laughing at Hagi's vaguely protesting look. She walked over to them, half hearing Saya's faint voice assuring Hagi that it was fine.

"Hey, Hagi." Kata greeted him, trying to smother her giggles. "Hey, Mao. Am I allowed in? Being a girl, and all…" She said and Mao shot her as suspicious look.

"Yeah, I guess." Kata slipped past her into the darkened bedroom, and then the door slammed in Hagi's face.

"Kata!" Saya was sitting up in bed, still in her vest and shorts with the covers folded around her midriff.

"Where have you been?" Saya asked; for it was true, none of them had seen Kata since Christina Island.

"Sorry, got caught up in stuff." Mao turned to face the pair of them.

"Anyway, it must be tough for you, Otonashi." She said, striding over to the windows to open them. "Anything you need to buy?" Kata seated herself on the floor, leaning against the bed, and pulled out a pocky.

"Ah, no, not really…" The light from outside flooded the room suddenly, and Saya winced at the sudden brightness.

"All right. You hungry? Feel like eating anything?"

"Do you really need to ask? She's always hungry." Kata supplied for Saya, rolling her eyes. Mao laughed as Saya blushed.

"Oh, got any laundry? I'll wash it for you?"

"No, really, it's okay." Saya protested, slightly overwhelmed with Mao's upbeat enthusiasm to help.

"Don't be shy, we're in the same boat here." Mao beamed, and Kata choked on her pocky. She stood, eyes watering as she tried to breathe through choking and fits of hysterical laughter.

"Oh… that is too funny. I missed you guys!" She said, finally having caught her breath, and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What?" Mao asked, defensive, as Kata dissolved into giggles once more, collapsing onto Saya's bed with her head in Saya's lap. She suddenly sobered, sniffing slightly.

"Uh huh. Just what I thought." She muttered to herself, before standing and leaving the room with a grin, still muttering to herself about the hilariousity of humans.

-n/s-

Kata announced her presence to Mao by suddenly flopping over the railing that the other girl was leaning on. Mao jumped, closing the booklet that held her plane ticket. Kata opened one red eye, grinning slyly.

"You said some nice stuff in there to Saya." She said softly. Mao blinked, as Kata's expression grew nostalgic. "About going back to Okinawa… shopping, and introducing her to your little sister. And you're right, you know. She does talk like an old lady!" Kata laughed, and Mao grinned, deciding not to ask how Kata had heard that conversation when she was out of the room.

"She does!" Kata straightened with a stretch.

"Well, I guess she is one, but it's still annoying."

"She is?" Mao asked, her eyes widening. Kata looked up at her through her lashes.

"She is. Nearly… ooh. She's about 174 years old, I think. Anyway, I'm going shopping." Smiling a little smile as Mao struggled to process this, she left her in the stairwell, hearing Kai and Lewis pass her as she skipped down the stairs.

-n/s-

Entering the apartment once more with several bags, she found David and Okamura deep in conversation with Lewis and Kai, back from whatever it was that they had been doing. She sighed in exasperation, before flopping onto the sofa. The guys, startled to see her without Saya, exchanged an uncomfortable glance before resuming their conversation.

"New special forces, huh?" David continued, his arms crossed and expression even more severe than usual."

"Well, it seems that the Goldsmiths are pulling the strings from behind." Lewis answered. Kata opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling as she listened.

"But even if it's the Goldsmiths, they're just one civilian organisation. Can they really do that?" Kata pondered whether she should join the conversation, but Lewis beat her to it;

"Apparently, they're working with Grant." Okamura whistled.

"Wow, amazing. Isn't he the current Secretary of Defence?"

"They're trying to cover it up. His son-in-law is working for one of the firms involved in setting up the special forces. You can't deny the connection there." Lewis said, sitting back. Kata sat up and peered over the sofa back.

"Yes, yes, but it's not really _important_ alright? I'm getting bored here!" The four men shot her four extremely sour looks which she ignored as she stood up, planting a fist on the table and looking round at them all.

"It's all Amshel! And it was Solomon, but he abandoned his post as CEO so now it's Van Argeno." David stiffened at the name, but Kata ploughed on. "They're producing food for not just the military now, but across the world, and it doesn't take a genius to guess what the special ingredient is." She was met by blank stares. "Okay, apparently it does." She straightened with another sigh.

"It's Delta67. They're planning to turn the entire world's population into chiropterans." She said gravely, with surprised noises. "The 'Special forces' are the Corpse Cops. Amshel hopes to sell them to America, and together they plan to turn humans into chiropterans and exterminate them. Of course, Amshel has his own agenda, but there we go."

"But… D67 doesn't always result in the person awakening as a chiropteran. Julia said that the chance of success is 0.3%." David said with a frown, and Kata rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but that's still a lot of people. Besides, Diva's singing pushes that up to 100%. Her performance at the MET will be broadcast worldwide." There was a silence, before Kata shook her head with a small grin.

"Whatever. If you don't believe me, then you can see for yourselves at the military base festival in North Carolina." She said, delving into her pocket and pulling out a leaflet for Diva, before she once again flopped onto the sofa.

* * *

**Alright! Nice and long for you, but unfortunately not much fun Nathan action! :( I'm feeling very inspired at the moment, so I'm trying to get as much done as possible while the inspiration is here, but unfortunately that means some of my other stories may get a little neglected... :S**

**But I hope you enjoyed this, and please review! =D**


	22. Chapter 21 : Singing for the Army and

**Chapter 21 - Singing for the Army… and the Monsters**

Kata wondered past the men, who were having a conference about Diva's concert in North Carolina; having had Joel confirm Kata's information. She paused, glancing at Kai, or more specifically; Kai's chest, seeing the red pendant hanging there.

Feeling her stare, he looked up in question, frowning.

"That… That's from Riku?" Kata asked, nodding towards the red diamond-shaped crystal. Kai looked down in surprise, before clenching it in his fist.

"Mm? Ah, yeah." He agreed, realising what Kata was referring to.

"Huh." She came forwards, jumping lightly past the table to inspect it. "May I?" She asked, holding her hand out. Kai blinked at her, before placing the crystal in his hand. She held it up, peering at it. "Mmm. Interesting. I would say that it's his palm. Of his right hand, I think, but I could be wrong." She said with a shrug, dropping it. It thudded back onto Kai's chest as he stared at her in amazement. She flashed him a smile and continued into Saya's room, shutting the door softly behind her.

Saya looked up startled, as Kata gave her a little wave.

"Hello, sleepy-head." She greeted, coming to sit on the edge of the bed while Hagi and Saya followed her with their eyes.

"Sleepy-head?" Saya asked frowning, as Kata rolled her eyes.

"Obviously. You're going to fall asleep again soon, right?"

"Don't tell anyone." Saya said vehemently, as Kata bowed her head to hide a grin as she felt Mao's presence outside the door.

"Your time of sleep is coming close, as Kata said." Hagi stated softly. "At this rate…"

"I know, but…" Saya said, gazing at her hands. At that moment, the door opened to reveal Mao, holding a cup of what smelt vaguely like coffee, but Kata wasn't entirely sure.

"What's up with you?" Mao asked, coming in the door with an overly cheerful expression on her face. "You're going to sleep even more?" She was met with three inscrutable stares; only Kata's eyes had amusement shining in them.

"Wh-what?" She stammered. Hagi stood, as Saya nodded to him, and placed a chair by Saya's bed, ignoring Kata's complaint of how she didn't get the same treatment.

-n/s-

"What do you mean, a thirty-year sleep?" Mao exclaimed, her expression anxious. Saya refused to meet her eyes. Kata was lounging on the bed, and Hagi had once more been kicked out.

"I don't know why, but I can only live a normal human life for two or three years, and then must sleep for thirty years." Saya answered, her voice soft.

"That's going to start soon?" Mao asked.

"That's right." Saya agreed. Mao leant forwards, her frown deepening.

"Why didn't you tell everyone something as important as this?" Mao exclaimed, angry. Kata rolled her eyes and sat up from where she had been lying next to Saya.

"I'm sorry." Saya said softly.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Mao shouted. Saya's eyes widened, before her gaze returned once more to her lap.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. Kata rolled her eyes again.

"What was that before, then?" Mao demanded. "When you said that when we got back to Okinawa, we'd go shopping together, and you'd see my little sister… was that all a lie?"

"I'm sorry." Saya repeated forlornly again, when suddenly Mao reached forwards and slapped her.

"Don't apologize." She hissed, and Kata whistled.

"_Thank_ you. I was getting to that stage myself." Kata beamed, but Mao was focused on Saya.

"I'm sick of your lies, but that's not why I'm angry. It just bothers me that you didn't tell everyone about something as important as this! You keep on carrying all the weight on your shoulders, trying to solve your problems on your own, no matter how hard Kai and the others are helping you!" Kata nudged Saya, and Saya seemed to wake up, becoming angry herself.

"That's why!" She exclaimed. "That's why I don't want them to know!" Mao backed down a little, still frowning. She seemed about to speak again, but the expression on Saya's face forbade it.

"I get it. I won't tell them. But in return, I've decided. After I've watched you guys fight to the very end, I'll return to Okinawa. But then, you'll have to return with me. No matter how sleepy you are, I'll carry you back home!" She vowed, and Kata laughed.

"I'll help you drag her." She agreed, laughter dancing in her mismatched eyes. Saya shot Kata a surprised look. Mao grinned at Kata.

"You'll go home with Kai and me, and everyone else, back to Okinawa!" Mao smiled, holding up her hand, pinkie outstretched.

"Promise me? Promise, between us girls?" Mao asked, encompassing Kata in the promise by holding out her other hand. Kata blinked at bit; just surprised as Saya was, before the three linked fingers.

"Right." Mao stood up to leave, and Kata stretched.

"I wouldn't worry though. She's got a while in her yet!" Kata exclaimed with a grin. Everyone's eyes widened, surprised that she could tell, before Mao smiled and left the room. Kata winked at Saya as she felt Hagi bow to Mao; sensing the girl's surprise and then happiness as Hagi stepped past her and entered the room. Later that evening, Mao shredded her plane ticket.

Saya looked up as Hagi entered the room, while Kata didn't react.

"Kata?" She glanced up, curious at Saya's tone.

"Yeah?"

"You… you know about the promise Hagi and I made. So, why?" Kata sat up, her expression abruptly losing all of its amusement and teasing.

"So why am I agreeing to drag you back to Okinawa? I'll answer that when you tell me why you're promising to go back there." Kata said, and Saya dropped her gaze.

-n/s-

"She had a tantrum." Himi whispered, looking up from where she was standing next to Diva; who was leaning on a chair. The room was dark; the light fixtures had been smashed in, and the floor was littered with the glass of the mirror. Also lying there on the floor was a very expensive vase; a Lalique one which Diva had demanded; now broken into several pieces. There were small spots of blood; from the smell the two chevaliers who had entered it seemed that both Diva's and Himi's was there, soaking into the carpet, although any wounds had long since healed.

"That was her favourite Lalique vase… She said she had to have it at any cost." Nathan said, glancing down at the shards. "But it seems that she's not in any mood to cooperate." Nathan stated, as Himi shot him a scathing look.

"Diva, what is it you truly wish for?" Amshel asked, ignoring the overturned furniture and shredded upholstery. Diva turned and whispered into Himi's ear, who stood as Diva seated herself backwards on the chair; leaning on the back.

"She says she wants him." Himi said, pointing to a photo on the floor. "Him. Will he be hers?" Himi asked, her voice suddenly taking on the timbre of Riku's so that you would have almost believed it was Diva speaking. She knelt and picked up the photo, which was framed in dark wood, and threw it to Amshel, who moved at the last second to catch it.

"Will he be hers?" Himi repeated, her eyes beginning to glow. Amshel bowed.

"If that is your wish." He addressed Diva, before leaving the room. At a pointed look from Himi, Nathan hurriedly left too.

"Diva?" Himi asked tentavely, kneeling in front of her friend to find that she was smiling.

"Himi, will you come with me to the show?" Himi smiled.

"Of course."

-n/s-

"How are your babies, Diva?" Himi asked, looking up as Diva entered her trailer and closing the door in Amshel's face.

"They'll be born soon." She said with a gentle smile, her eyes shining with emotion. Himi beamed.

"Oh, that's fantastic! It means we'll have to go shopping!" She exclaimed, picking up a brush and beginning to brush Diva's short hair.

"Yes, we will." She allowed Himi to seat her at the vanity and clip back her hair, as her friend picked up a make-up brush and began opening various pots.

"That boy is here, isn't he?" Diva asked as Himi began to apply her make-up.

"Yes, he is. Nearly all of the players are here, so it should be a delightful performance. How can you tell, Diva? You haven't been anywhere but here and the doctor's clinic." Himi asked curiously. Diva smiled.

"I can feel it in my blood. Riku's blood that flows within me…" Himi made a vague agreeing noise as Nathan entered.

"Oh, Himi, I wanted to do Diva's make-up!" Nathan complained, pouting. She glanced at him.

"Kai is here." Instantly, Nathan clapped his hands together in delight.

"Kai Miyagusuku is here? Oh, it will be a delightful show!" Diva smiled as Nathan took over from Himi; undoing her hair and and placing it with his fingers. He placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning down so he could whisper in her ear.

"I look forward to your greatest performance." He whispered softly, and Diva smiled while Himi gave a sigh of longing.

"I wish I could sing with you Diva." Himi smiled, adjusting the blue rose on Diva's sailor suit.

"You could, you know." Diva said, tilting her head to one side as she regarded Himi's widening eyes.

"I… could? No, don't be silly. It's you who is on the posters, what would the audience think!" Himi laughed, and Diva moved forwards to give her a hug. Himi blinked in shock and looked down at the back of Diva's head.

"Um… Diva? You'll crush your clothes…" Diva looked up, her eyes very blue, before laughing again.

"You could take on Riku's form! Then we'd look the same! Look, I have lots more outfits just like mine; if you put one on, we'd be identical." Diva beamed, leaping over to the closet and opening it to reveal the row of sailor suits.

"I could do that, couldn't I?" Himi supposed thoughtfully. "And then if I stay backstage, if Saya attacks she won't know which one to attack! Oh, no she will… because of my eyes." Himi suddenly sobered, a solitary finger reaching up to absentmindedly touch the closed lid of her red eye.

"I have contact lenses." Nathan said, turning and delving into one of the many bags and pulling one of them out. "Blue ones." Himi and Diva stared at him, before their lips curved up into identical devious smiles.

-n/s-

Himi was hiding behind the curtains; watching as Kai sat on the sofa, facing Diva with an angry expression on his face. He raised his eyes to look at her; seeing Riku's face… She smiled at him, and he looked away, sullen.

"I've wanted to see you." He couldn't help but look back to her as she spoke.

"See me?" He asked, still frowning. Himi smiled, behind the curtain. Diva's smile faded.

"You don't seem too happy about it…" Diva said, looking puzzled. Kai's expression darkened.

"You… You killed Riku." He almost growled, and Diva inclined her head.

"But, you know… Riku lives within me." Diva smiled, shutting her eyes and placing a hand upon her chest, as Kai's teeth gritted.

"Don't fuck with me!" He yelled, unable to prevent his voice rising with his rage. "That's just because you stole his appearance!" Diva's face turned quizzical once more.

"She's not the only one." Himi stepped out from behind the curtain, also wearing Riku's appearance and the same sailor suit, with a blue contact lens over her right eye. Kai gasped, and Diva beamed at her.

"Ah, you almost never show your face to anybody but me and my chevaliers! See, Kai, you're special!" Diva exclaimed, as Himi trotted over to sit next to Kai on the sofa; smiling at him as he trembled.

"Who are you?" he asked, aggressive.

"A friend!" She beamed at him. Diva cocked her head.

"You're not going to tell him your name?" Himi's expression noticeably softened when she looked at Diva; that much was clear to see even for Kai.

"No… a name holds a special meaning. It is very precious, so you should look after it… I will tell him my name when he is yours." She turned to Kai, smiling at him again as he stared at her. "But you know, Diva wasn't lying."

"Lying?" Diva made an innocent face as she walked over; perching on Kai's other side on the arm of the couch.

"Riku really does live on inside her." Himi said, and Diva's face relaxed. "Look, the babies are right here." Himi said, picking up Kai's hand and placing it on Diva's stomach. Diva covered it with her own hand, as Kai's expression grew if anything more horror-struck.

"Babies?" He asked, his eyes wide. Diva opened her eyes, knowing he could feel the beating of their hearts; the throb of life.

"My and Riku's babies…" She said, still smiling gently as she watched him remember the night when the Red Shield broke. Himi withdrew her hand as Diva reached out to touch the side of his face, when the door opened with a quiet click.

"Yoohoo!" Nathan announced himself.

"Diva, dear, it's time to go on stage!" Nathan exclaimed, poking his head in. Diva's hand dropped as both she, Himi and Kai turned to look at him standing in the doorway like a flirt.

"I know, Nathan," She answered, standing as Kai's hand dropped, his face still fixed with something that was like sorrow, like anger, like horror, like regret, and yet at the same time, none of those emotions.

"Didn't I tell you to always knock before entering?" Diva asked, placing her hands on her hips. Nathan smiled.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry." He apologised, coming into the trailer fully. Himi turned to watch Kai's tormented face; only half hearing Nathan's fussing.

"Now, let's do a final check." Nathan pouted, sounding far too enthusiastic for words. Kai's head dropped.

"There's no need, I'm fine." Himi looked up to see Nathan standing behind Diva, his hands on her shoulders as they both looked into the mirror at her reflection.

"Oh, you're so beautiful! You're radiant, just like always!" He exclaimed.

"You're embarrassing me…" Diva stated, with little actual jibe in her voice as Himi looked back to Kai.

"She is beautiful though, don't you think?" She asked him, but he looked away, instead fixing his eyes on Diva.

"Nathan, I'm singing for Kai today." Himi smiled as Nathan clasped his hands together, looking at Kai in ecstasy.

"Oh, really? Lucky you!"

"I don't want it." Kai muttered, and Nathan's hands dropped.

"What?" Diva turned to face him, and for a moment she looked quite severely angry, before her face relaxed into a smile.

"Because you're really stubborn." Himi giggled.

-n/s-

Diva's song began, the spotlight picking her out in perfect clarity despite the darkening sky, as her voice swelled and washed over the audience in waves. Kai and Himi, flanked by Amshel and Nathan, watched from the sides, Himi still in Riku's form. All of them but Kai could hear the sounds of helicopters approaching; but they wouldn't reach the army base until they were needed, of that Himi was quite certain.

The finish of Diva's song was met with outstanding applause, which continued long after Diva had left the stage to meet Kai, Himi and her chevaliers.

"Perfect!" Nathan exclaimed as she approached, and Himi took her hand.

"What did you think of my song?" Diva asked, her gaze fixed on Kai, who was held captive by Nathan's casual hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing at all." Kai said, far too quickly, and Diva shut her eyes.

"Is there no way to tame you?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't think so, Diva. He is far too devoted to his Saya." Himi said sadly; and watching her you would have believed that she was actually properly sad about this, so tragic did she look.

"Diva…" Amshel said, as always perfectly happy to ignore Himi unless she demanded his attention personally.

"I know Amshel." She turned to look at him. "This is something I should save for a special day. Hey, Kai…" Nathan pushed him forwards as Diva continued, and Himi silently looked around. "On that special day, I'd like you to be by my side." Kai was now no longer held by either of the chevaliers, but was kept captive by their presence alone. "So become my chevalier." She proposed.

Kai grunted in surprise; whatever he had been expecting, it had not been this. "Will you protect my children with Amshel and Nathan?" She asked.

"Who would?" he asked defiantly, and Himi's expression turned sly.

"If you become her chevalier, you can have children with Saya. Bet that changed your mind?" Himi asked, testing him, pushing his resolve. If he was going to factor in on her plans, she needed to be sure.

"Shut up! Who would want to become your chevalier?" Kai shouted, reaching into his waistband for his gun and drawing it. He had barely pulled it out, however, when Himi's hand came up, holding the gun. He gasped in surprise, while Diva moved to stand in front of Amshel; leaning her head back against him.

"Go ahead and shoot." Himi said, pointing the gun at Diva, who smiled beautifully. "If you resent us that much, go ahead and shoot her. Then drink her blood afterwards." Himi smirked at him as she cocked the gun, reigning herself in from letting her eyes glow; who knew how the contact lens would react to that.

"Just pull the trigger…" Diva urged as Himi let go of the gun, it still pointed at Diva. "If you do that, then you can be with me. 'Kay, brother Kai?" Her head suddenly tilted to the side, and the voice that came from her throat was not hers; but Riku's.

"Riku…" Kai whispered, his eyes watering, before his teeth gritted, his face turning from longing to anger.

"Come on, hurry!" Diva repeated impatiently as Kai didn't move; his finger merely flexing on the trigger. And then he did the only thing that could have possibly ever redeemed him in even Kata's eyes; he lowered the gun.

"I won't do anything you tell me to." He stated, looking away. "Riku wouldn't have wanted me to become a chevalier! Riku…" He turned back to face his enemy who wore his brother's face. "He would have wanted me to stay as I am!" Kai shouted, fervour gleaming in his eyes. He looked more like himself than he had all day, and Himi was reassured. Diva's expression darkened as she pouted.

"That's terrible!" Himi exclaimed, agreeing with Diva;

" You're no fun!" Diva cried, her voice angry. Suddenly though, her face relaxed into a contemplative smile.

"Well then, I'll just eat you…" Himi grinned maliciously, as her fangs began to slide out. Abruptly, she paused; glancing to the side before flashing out of sight as Saya dived for her; sword out.

Himi reappeared on top of one of the many crates that littered the backstage area, giggling. "Wrong one, Saya!" She called, and Diva giggled and stepped into Saya's view.

Saya's eyes flashed between the identical pair, as the real Diva and her chevaliers flashed over to stand between two trailers; Himi still on the crates. Saya had no way of knowing which one was real, and which one was fake.

"Saya!" Kai exclaimed, pointing to the blue eyed black haired Riku who stood between the chevaliers. "That one!"

"Look, look how she rushes to his rescue. She's his knight in shining armour!" Diva laughed, hands on hips.

"Get back, Kai!"

"But…"

"Hurry!" Saya rushed forwards, her eyes ruby red as Nathan began to chuckle. Saya was rushing forwards one moment, and the next, her sword arm was suddenly wrenched behind her as Amshel grabbed it. She gasped, and then stuttered as he twisted it, the other arm coming up to circle her throat.

Instantly, 'Kata' reared to life inside Himi, who struggled to contain her as they watched Amshel's hand suddenly turn beastly and purple; digging into Saya's wrist until with a snap and a distressed yelp from her, it broke, her sword falling to the floor. 'Kata' took an involuntary step forwards, before Himi reeled back, clutching her head. Diva was so enthralled in watching the spectacle that she didn't notice; watching with a little smile on her face as Kai stepped forwards, shackled by his own helplessness as he yelled out Saya's name.

"Shit! Make him stop!" Kai yelled, bringing his gun up as Nathan clapped; also having not noticed Himi who was now slumped against the trailer as she struggled to contain 'Kata'.

"Bravo!" Nathan said, and then 'Kata' relaxed as she felt Hagi racing towards them, leaving Himi gasping for breath. However, Nathan had flashed forwards at a look from Diva which he couldn't yet ignore; slapping Hagi out of the way so he could not reach Saya. 'Kata' flared again, and Himi squeezed her eyes shut, still clutching her head; which felt as it would burst, as the fight went on.

"How shall we proceed?" Amshel asked; Saya trapped in his grip, Hagi trapped in the reluctant Nathan's.

"Hm, I wonder…" Diva smiled, her hands still on her hips. "Kai's watching, too, so why not kill her?" Diva suggested. Himi pressed her hands over her mouth, keeping 'Kata's' shouts inside.

"Stop it. Stop it already!" Kai growled, bringing his gun up again and firing towards Diva, but Amshel's hand came up, human once more, and caught the bullet. Opening his fingers, Kai watched in dismay as the bullet was pushed out of Amshel's palm and fall uselessly to the floor.

Suddenly, a loud scream echoed shrilly through the night, and they all turned towards the back of the stage; where panic could be heard spreading through the audience.

"So it begins…" Amshel breathed, and all of the non-humans felt the presences of chiropterans flickering to life as human's transformed. They also heard and felt the arrival of several Corpse Cops, as they began to eliminate the beasts.

Diva was peeking through the curtain, laughing with joy at the destruction she saw.

"This is amazing!"

"It still needs some adjustment." Amshel said, still restraining Saya, but pleased nether the less at his queen's praise.

"Why would you do this?" Saya asked, horror struck.

"You should watch too, Kai. It's too good to miss!" Diva giggled happily, turning to jump off the crates she had been using as a footstool.

"Shut up." Kai muttered, staring at the floor, his gun useless in his hand.

"Amshel. I'm done with Sister Saya." Diva stated, as Himi, more driven by 'Kata' than her, struggled to her feet, managing to drive 'Kata's' rage so she could walk in the opposite direction, half-falling, half-diving out of sight behind the trailer. Finally, as 'Kata' realised what 'Himi' meant to do, she conceded; both looking out through their mismatched eyes as they removed their blue contact lens, revealing their red, glowing orb.

Together, they closed their eyes and sent out a concentrated beam of their joint presence; using their power to contact him.

_SOLOMON!_ They screamed it; directed it so that only the man in question would hear it, and he did. He was already on his way, and their scream only made him go faster, as Amshel accepted Diva's decision.

"Yes. It's too bad…" He began, beginning to tighten his arm around Saya's neck as she began to yelp; unable to breathe. "It's indeed a waste to extinguish those beautiful eyes, this light." he whispered, his expression regretful as he watched Saya's glowing eyes as the bones in her neck began to give under his pressure.

"Finally, she gave a small gurgle and her head dropped. She was not dead, but her mind had sought solace from the pain in the depths of unconsciousness, and that meant Amshel needed only push a little more, when suddenly a silver flash caught his attention; he blurred over to catch the dagger aimed for Diva; it struck through his palm as the intended target watched without care.

Both looked back over to Saya to see her falling back, unconscious, but before she could hit the ground a pair of familiar hands caught her and picked her up, her bloodied wrist hanging loose by her side.

"Solomon." Diva stated with some surprise, as Amshel held out his arm in front of her protectively.

"Not only have you left the ranks of chevaliers, but you've even aimed a blade at Diva!" Amshel asked; the question was more to ascertain that it had really happened that to have Solomon clarify it.

"This is how I've chosen to live." Solomon said gently, his eyes returning to Saya's slack face in his arms. "I wish to live together with Saya." Solomon looked up, meeting Amshel's gaze once more. "That is all I wish for." He turned and jumped backwards onto the trailer, Saya still unconscious in his arms.

Unknowingly, it was the trailer that Himi was fast recovering behind, 'Kata' having subsided and their joint existence broken.

"Solomon?" Nathan asked, as he and Hagi noticed the blonde for the first time.

"Saya!" Hagi shouted, his grip on Nathan's beastly purple arm suddenly tightening. Nathan looked down with a surprised noise.

"Huh?"

"Farewell, Diva. Farewell, brother." With that, Solomon vanished with the speed of his movement; only reappearing as his flying beast form fading into the distance of the dark sky, Saya cradled on his back legs.

"Saya!" Kai yelled, half running forwards before her realised that once again she was beyond his reach. "SAYA!"

"Should I chase them?" Amshel asked, the dagger still embedded in his bloody palm.

"No. Everyone is going crazy over Sister Saya. It's nauseating." She said, turning to leave. "Let's go home, Amshel."

"Is that really alright?" Amshel asked, anxious. Diva smiled and placed a hand on her belly.

"It's fine. I have these children, after all."

"H-Hey, wait, you…" Nathan began to stutter, eyes wide and milking it for all he was worth, as he half let Hagi force his arms apart, before with a blur the enemy chevalier turned and kicked the curly blonde man into the trailer; Nathan went straight through the wall and ended up upside down amongst the wreckage, where he thanked the stars he was used to such situations from constant berating by Ibukishi.

"Ooh, wonderful!" Nathan exclaimed, secretly celebrating the fact that he wasn't bleeding; on the numerous occasions when his queen had kicked him into walls he had ended up with blood in his hair. Every single time.

Diva walked past, hands clasped behind her back, giving Hagi a curious look before stopping by the hole Nathan had made and turning to look at her chevalier.

"Let's go home, Nathan." Before flashing off, Amshel following.

"But we were just getting started…But it was a wonderful rehearsal." Nathan complained, his expression somehow sarcastic before following. In actuality, he merely hid a few metres away, prepared to rush back and find his queen the instant Kai and Hagi cleared off.

Hagi, having retrieved his cello case, ran forwards and pulled Saya's katana from the grass. Kai raised his head from where he was kneeling on the grass, dejected.

"What are you going to do?" He demanded bitterly.

"I'm going after Saya." The stoic man stated, seemingly without emotion but his voice was not harsh.

"That's crazy." Kai raised his head properly, frowning. Hagi frowned in return, and when he spoke his voice was imbued with an emotion that even Ibukishi, peeking out from behind the trailer to watch, could not name.

"I have… I have no else but Saya. So…" Hagi turned to face the way Solomon had flown, before he began to run, his pace speeding up into blue leaps as he disappeared over the trees, leaving Kai kneeling in the grass, and soon he too stood and left to find his comrades, feeling very alone.

Nathan stepped out of the shadows, watching Kai's retreating back, before flashing forwards to search for his queen. He stopped just in time to avoid crashing into her as she stepped out from between the trailers. She turned to look up at him, the fine sheen of her sweat old.

"Ibukishi?" he asked anxiously, noting her exhausted, if fast recovering, face and posture. She blinked, and slowly focused.

"Oh… Nathan. They were fighting." She said, an odd expression her face.

"Who?" He asked gently, somehow knowing that she wasn't referring to any of the duels that had taken place that evening between Saya and Diva and their chevaliers.

"Himi… and Kata. They were fighting, because Kata didn't want Saya to die and wanted to help, and Himi didn't want to be found out by Amshel because then she couldn't see Diva and-"

"Alright, it's alright. Calm down." Nathan cut across her torrent of words, struggling to hide his worry. Ibukishi's plan, never mind his, would never work unless she could function. It was vital. And he could see from the fear in her mismatched eyes that she knew this.

"Nathan, if this happens again… if we fail again… I don't know that I can get up and try once more. I can't take much more of this." She said quietly, her head dropping as he placed a tentavely gentle hand on her shoulder. For possibly the first time when fully conscious, she didn't brush it away.

"Ibukishi… we won't fail."

"I don't know, Nathan. So much rests on this; too much will go wrong if we do… And yet, the component that is malfunctioning…. Is _me_." She said bitterly; despite the seriousness of the situation she recognised the irony of it.

"It will be fine. It only happens when one of those two are in danger of their lives, right? It's happened before without anything going wrong, so it will be fine." Nathan counselled; trying to convince himself as much as his queen. She laughed; a small strangled sound, her head still bowed as her hair abruptly brushed her shoulders; back in her own form. They both knew that it had never happened before quite like this.

"Anyway, we will have to deal with Solomon soon… and it was silly of you to appear in front of Saya, Kai and Hagi tonight, even if you did look like Riku." Ibukishi straightened, determination appearing in her eyes once more as she ignored the silly comment.

"Yes. I should follow him before he does something perverted to Saya." She said decisively, as Nathan sighed; hands held up in a shrug.

"Are you going to tell me what your plan for him is? And how do you even know where that boy is, anyway?" Nathan complained, as Ibukishi smiled coldly at him.

"That would spoil the surprise. And I know where he is because I frequently steal his credit card." She answered, her eyes beginning to glow as she reached beneath Diva's trailer to pull out the package of Kata's clothes she had hidden there earlier.

"So? What does you bankrupting Solomon have to do with it?"

"It means I know his pin number, and that means it is a great deal easier for me to hack into his accounts and see what he's bought. And I know," She smiled, turning as she zipped up Kata's leather jacket; having changed at her lightening fast pace once more. "For a fact that he bought a penthouse apartment shortly after leaving the ranks of Diva's chevaliers, and I know where that is in New York." She turned, now fully dressed, as she strapped her swords into her thigh-braces.

"Now, I don't know about you, but I'm willing to bet that's where he is." She smiled, her grin suddenly a lot more malicious than it had been previously. Nathan let out another soft snort, lowering his arms.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to be 'Kata' after that fight?" He asked; rhetorically. Regardless of whether she thought it was a good idea or not she was going to do it anyway.

"I'll be fine. I hardly think Diva is going to turn up out of the blue, so 'Himi' should not have any reason to stir." She answered, preparing to leave.

"I suppose… If it only happens when those two are in danger, then you won't have to worry for much longer anyway." Nathan said thoughtfully, and as she glanced back at him over her shoulder he could see her grinning at his acknowledgement that they were not going to fail.

"Indeed. One way or another…"

* * *

**So there we go, another chapter in quick succession! I'm on a roll! XD**

**Hope you enjoyed, and please review!**


	23. Chapter 22 : Solomon the Messiah

**Important Question - should I continue past the ending of the Blood+ storyline with the other sister? Let me know in a review!**

* * *

**Chapter 22 - Solomon the Messiah**

"Please tell me you're not seriously planning on removing her clothes yourself? Because if she finds out, she'll kill you. And I will help." Solomon looked up, eyes wide, to see Kata standing in the doorway, a half eaten pocky forgotten in her hand as she stared at Solomon incredulously. He straightened, his hands falling to his side from where they had been preparing to remove Saya's bloodied coat.

"Himi… No… _Kata_." He narrowed his eyes at her and she grinned, finishing her pocky off with a snap.

"I'll undress her, you pervert. Get out." She shook her head, and Solomon reluctantly obeyed; watching Kata carefully even as she shut the door in his face. She turned back to Saya, who was still unconscious on the bed, and swiftly stripped her of her clothes, leaving her in her camisole and shorts so that the poor girl wouldn't get too much of a shock when she woke up.

Noticing the bloodied state of Saya's wrist, she cursed and dived into the bathroom, casting about for bandages even as she soaked a cloth to wipe away the blood. Unable to find any medical equipment, she hurried back into the room, the wet cloth dripping onto the carpet as she approached the bed.

Saya was so out of it, so locked in her own mind and so sleepy that she didn't wake even as Kata scrubbed her wrist; a small moan escaped her lips, but she didn't stir.

When Kata poked her head out of the door to ask Solomon where the bandages were, her head went straight into said chevalier's chest.

"Okay, that is _seriously_ creepy." Kata reeled back widening the door as Solomon wordlessly held out the bandages. Kata looked down at the white roll in his hand in surprise, glancing up at him curiously as she took it. "Uh… thanks." She muttered, and he smiled gently at her. Giving him another suspicious look in return, she flashed back over to the bed and began wrapping Saya's broken wrist.

"Will she be alright?" He asked, and Kata glanced up over her shoulder to see Solomon had entered. Shaking her head and returning to her 'patient', she answered;

"Yeah, she'll be fine. Something like this won't kill her." Kata turned back to tuck the end of the bandage under, securing the dressing in place.

"But… surely, it should have healed by now?" Solomon asked anxiously, coming closer to the bed and laying a hand on Saya's cheek. Kata slapped it away.

"I'm sure even you can figure out why she's not healing as fast as usual. And if you need to take advantage of her in her sleep to show your affections, then you've got no chance." Kata's eyes bored into him, and he had the grace to look a little ashamed. Kata rolled her eyes, and drew the covers up over Saya; who was still sleeping peacefully.

"Now get out. You are not watching her creepily while she sleeps; Hagi's got that part covered." Kata said, physically grabbing Solomon and dragging him out of the room, closing the door softly behind them.

"You know you can't give her what she wants. What you have to offer is not enough." Kata stated quietly, her eyes meeting Solomon's with a sudden solemnity that contrasted with either of her usual personalities that Solomon had recently seen.

"What?" Solomon's eyes widened as he frowned at Kata in confusion, but she simply shook her head with a sigh.

"Just warning you. Have fun now!" Abruptly reverting to 'Kata', she turned and disappeared with a blue flash and a gust of wind that blew into Solomon's startled eyes.

-n/s-

"Took you long enough." Both Saya and Hagi jumped as Kata announced her presence; casting their eyes about until they picked out the gleam of Kata's mismatched orbs in the shadows.

"Kata." Saya breathed, and there was a rustle as Kata pushed herself off the wall.

"Did you kill him? Ah… no." Kata answered her own question as she approached Saya with a sniff. Both Hagi and his queen frowned at her, and Kata shrugged before turning to open the door to the apartment. "I can't smell Solomon's blood on Saya, so you must have left him alive."

She opened the door surprisingly quietly for once, and both Mao and Kai looked up with shock as Kata placed her hands behind her head and entered the hallway before disappearing off into the kitchen, leaving Kai to leap to his feet as Hagi, his arms around Saya, came in.

"Saya!" Kai exclaimed, a relieved smile forming up his face. Saya met his gaze tiredly, as Mao looked Saya's white dress up and down curiously.

"Kai." Saya trailed off, he gaze dropping as Hagi led her inside. Neither of them saw Kai's frowning glance at Hagi's arms around Saya's shoulders, but Kata saw and had to suppress a snort as Mao finally voiced her query about the wedding poof-ball Saya was wearing.

"What's with the dress?" Mao muttered, but everyone ignored her as Saya thanked Hagi quietly and disappeared in what in Kata's opinion was a very morose manner, the door closing silently behind her with a click as they all stared at it. Mumbling something rather rude involving drama-queens, depression and a few choice swear words, Kata began to raid the fridge for yoghurt.

-n/s-

"So, what are we all talking about then?" Kata said, coming into the room in nothing but an oversized t-shirt with an incredibly loud yawn that displayed not only all of her teeth and a good deal of her tongue and throat, but also her fangs; glinting even in the darkening evening light.

"Um… Kata…" Kata opened her eyes, which were not glowing, but were certainly brighter than usual.

"What? I'm naturally nocturnal, okay? I'm used to sleeping through the day, so no dissing the fact that I just got up." Kata pouted, before reaching into a cupboard and withdrawing to crouch on the back of the sofa with her pocky boxes in hand. "So, anybody want to tell me what it is that we're so seriously discussing?"

"Um… Kata, I don't know if you know this, but Diva…" Saya began after a long silence that made it quite clear that most of the people in the room were not at all comfortable with Kata's presence. "She has… children. She's pregnant with Riku's children." Saya said, closing her eyes as it all came out in a rush.

"Yeah, and?" Kata asked, frowning as she polished off several more pocky at a lightening pace and started on the next batch; apparently she even ate these things for breakfast. Or supper, depending on which way you wanted to look at it.

"You knew?" David asked, standing with an angry frown on his face. Eyes wide, Kata glanced up at him, swallowing her pocky with a gulp as she held her hands up defensively.

"Did I not mention that? My bad." She grinned cheesily, as David sat down again, muttering angrily.

"You _knew_, all this time?" Saya asked, hurt evident in her disbelieving voice.

"Well, duh. I mean, come on, she's been pregnant about a year already. I'm the information guru, remember?" Kata smirked and began on her third box of pocky, while even Lewis began to eye her curiously about the amount she was eating. Catching his glance, she suddenly appeared sitting on the table in front of him, two pocky sticking out jauntily from the corner of her mouth, legs crossed.

"What is it with you people and judging me today? I'm hungry, and unless you want me to substitute you as a snack," Here Kata reached out her finger and stroked Lewis's chin, who gulped as David reached inside his jacket for his gun. "Then I suggest you let me be- ow!" Angry now, Kata dropped her half empty pocky box, the others already discarded on the sofa, and glared at David, fingering the bloodied hole in the shoulder of her t-shirt.

"That's like, the _ninety-third_ time I've been shot by a bloody David!" She exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "I'm leaving. Geez, you guys are mean. Diva's babies have probably been removed from her stomach by now, in case you were wondering. Probably still cocoons though, so I wouldn't worry." Kata sniffed and turned towards the door, before being interrupted by Julia;

"Wait! What?" Kata glanced back surprised, meeting Julia's grey eyes with her mismatched ones.

"Oh! Julia! I forgot you were here! Score!" Kata punched the air victoriously, once again completely unnerving everybody with her random mood swing. "I love it when my plans work!"

"Plan?" Julia asked, her previous question forgotten, and Kata smirked again.

"Yeah, my plan to get you back here. Who do you think gave David the address of the lab you were working in London, huh? That would be _moi_! Oh, your kids are gonna be cute!" Leaving them all with the rather uncomfortable atmosphere she had created, Kata skipped out of the door, still only clothed in her t-shirt.

-n/s-

Himi bent, her fingers lightly caressing the webbed surface of the two cocoons not for the first time, as Diva and Solomon continued their fight. She didn't care much for it; Diva could not kill Solomon and that was all she needed to know.

She continued to coo over the bundles that were Diva's children, only looking up as with a final splat of blood, Solomon collapsed and did not rise. Diva turned without a word, approaching Himi with a small smile on her face. They exchanged a brief embrace before Diva picked up the blue cradle that contained the cocoons and began to make her way towards the house, crooning softly under her breath.

Himi glanced over at Nathan, who was standing with one hand on his hip as Solomon's blood slowly seeped into the already drowned grass.

"I wonder…" he murmured, crouching down by the unconscious blonde curly head. "If even you can survive loosing that much blood?" He pondered, reaching out a hand to play with an errant curl. Himi, face grave, tossed her head, uncaring.

"Amshel told you to lock him up, right? I'll tell you when to release him." She then turned and in a flash of purple skirts turned and followed Diva into the house, leaving Nathan smiling crookedly after her.

-n/s-

"Moses!" Kai stood, his face etched with relief and worry in equal parts; he was glad to see his friend, but they had still been unable to find Karman at Lulu's request. Kata had arrived once more mid-search, but flatly refused to take part in it; she sat by the window this time with a tin of fudge rather than her usual preferred pocky, watching the comings and goings of the failing searchers with a highly entertained expression.

"Kai, I'm sorry, but… please die for us." Moses looked up as his scythe clanked into place, his teal coloured eye meeting Kai's with an expression that was both determined and sorrowful.

"What!"Moses raised his weapon and prepared to swing, the sharp edge of his blade heading for Kai's head. The ginger's brown eyes widened with shock, before with a sudden clang Moses' scythe met another blade.

"You!" Kata smirked at him with astonishing aplomb considering that she had just locked blades with him; managing to get there in time to save Kai from decapitation before Saya had even noticed; said red-eyed girl was now standing slightly in front of Kai, her weapon readied and eyes glowing.

Her smirk abruptly vanishing, Kata twisted her blade, sending Moses' scythe clattering away across the floor, where it was quickly picked up by Julia, before she booted Moses out of the door and sent him tumbling down the stairs. A fearsome look on her face, she followed him in a blue flash, reappearing once again on the landing several floors below holding Moses up by the neck of his cloak, her eyes narrowed and glowing.

"You idiot!" She spat, and his eye widened as he halted his attempts to escape her grip. "I don't know what that stupid chevalier said to you, but he's a liar! Why can't you see that he's not going to save you or Karman, or Lulu? He's using you to kill Kai so that he doesn't have to dirty his hands doing it himself! Using one mess to clean up another, and you are falling right for his trap, you moron." Kata hissed, her voice low and menacing; audible only to Moses as the others began to hurry down the two flights of stairs to find them.

"Think about it! He wants Kai dead because it will hurt Saya, and it's the only way he has of hurting her! Do you really think that kind of person is going to tell you the truth? Save you?" Her grip involuntarily tightened on Moses' throat, and the young black haired boy choked.

"It's… our last… hope!" He got out, and her eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

"If you've resorted to trusting the word of James Ironside, then your hope is long gone." She stated, finally releasing Moses somewhat; holding onto his cloak so that he wouldn't flash off but no longer choking him, much to his relief.

There was a clatter as the others finally arrived; Saya with Hagi and Kai hot on her heels, David, Julia and Lewis following.

"I can cure you of the Thorn, but you never thought to ask, did you? I thought Kai taught you how to ask, you silly child?" Kata said, her head tilting to one side as she smiled, and despite her apparent gentleness Moses felt a flash of fear. Saya was just stepping forwards to ask what Kata was doing when her friend's fangs slid out, sharp and visible to all.

What happened next happened so quickly, so unexpectedly, that nobody did anything but watch for almost a full minute; wrenching his head upwards and baring his neck, Kata had ripped away the collar of Moses' tunic and bitten into the abnormally white skin of his neck, the only colour in the red bead of blood that trailed its way down his jugular artery as Kata drank.

"KATA! What are you doing!" Saya yelled, her protests added to by Kai, and her lips curved upwards in a smile. However, she didn't stop, and neither Saya nor Hagi nor Kai nor their combined efforts could budge her from Moses' neck.

As for Moses himself, he struggled, but his movements became less and less violent; his head finally tipping back to rest on the wall as his strength drained away alarmingly quickly.

Finally, Kata seemed to be finished and she released Moses, who dropped to the floor in a dead weight, kept in a vague sitting position only by his back against the wall. Everyone froze as Kata wiped the blood from her mouth, her face expressionless and yet her manner haughty, as Moses blearily opened his eye and looked up at her, his gloved hand coming up to press against the two neat fang marks Kata had made.

His eye suddenly widened, his fingers clenching as he felt the unmistakable texture of what was happening to his neck. The corner of Kata's mouth tugged upwards into a half smile, but only Moses noticed as his hand dropped and revealed to the others what Kata and Moses already knew; the Thorn.

The holes had suddenly crystallised, the red spidery cracks beginning to spread up his neck at an alarming pace.

"Moses!" Kai yelled, pushing past Saya to kneel by his friend's side, his eyebrows drawn together in anxiety. Moses turned to look at the young man, surprised.

"Kai… even though I tried to kill you…" Moses trailed off as he began to shake, the cracks spidering faster; evidently bringing with them a similar agony to the pains that Irene had endured in her final moments; judging by Moses' expression and groans.

"I'm sorry, but my blood retains a price of some sort… you're an experiment, a whim, to tell you the truth, so I needed payment in advance." Kata sighed, also shoving past Saya to stand over Moses, who once again felt his eye drawn to her. Kai's hand clenched on Moses' shoulder as he glared at Kata, who barely noticed as he shouted at her about killing his friend. Moses heard the use of the word 'friend' with surprised gratitude, but could not tear his gaze from Kata's face.

She sighed again, before using the blade she still held in her hand, that had been used to block Moses' swing back in the flat, to slash open her palm, immediately closing her fingers around the wound even as her blood began to seep through her fisted hand and down her forearm.

"Drink." She commanded, holding out her hand, Moses' eye dropped to it, wide, before he frowned and shook his head venomously. Kata laughed, her mouth still closed, and shoved her hand closer to Moses' protesting face; her hand suddenly cupping his chin so that her open, bleeding palm rested against his mouth.

Kai tried to tug her arm away, but she didn't budge; her attention solely focused on Moses, who was still valiantly trying not to drink the blood of the girl he clearly deemed his enemy.

"Come on, it doesn't taste that bad…" Kata chuckled again, before bending and locking gazes with the Schiff boy. "Drink. If you want to live, want to try and save your comrades, then _drink_." Moses stared at her for another few seconds, bloodlust fighting sanity in his eyes in an all too familiar battle, and Kata gazed back unflinchingly.

Time seemed to almost freeze as Moses bit into her palm, drawing blood once more, and drank, his reluctance becoming less and less apparent as he did so. Kata's smile widened as she almost cradled his head, her palm still pressed to his fangs, and her other hand, having dropped her sword, came up to pat his head.

"Good boy." She whispered, her hand patting his head once more before she drew her arm away. "But that's enough." Moses gasped as his fangs slid out from the soft flesh of her hand, and leant back against the wall once more, panting, before he suddenly cried out.

"Moses! What did you do to him?" Kai yelled, glaring at Kata once more, who was simultaneously sheathing her katana and licking the straying blood from her wound. Not halting either of these activities, her mismatched eyes flickered up to meet his, before with a final lick she raised her head, her sword strapped firmly into place.

Everyone's attention was however, drawn straight back to Moses as he gave another cry before collapsing. Kata sighed and tutted, wiping the blood from her lips once more as she walked forwards to peer at Moses' slack face.

"Oh, honestly. So I have to carry you too, do I? You look a hell of a lot heavier than the last one…" Mentally comparing Moses to Riku with a wince, Kata sighed and slid her arms beneath him, flashing over to the top of the stairs, having somehow raced past Julia, Lewis and David, looking almost comical; her smaller, feminine figure cradling Moses.

"And as for what I've done to him, I've just cured him of the Thorn." She grinned, obviously greatly appreciating the shocked looks upon her audience's faces as their eyes all flickered to Moses' neck; now devoid of any cracks or signs of crystallisation.

"Why… why would you do that? I thought you said that you weren't getting involved?" Saya accused, but Kata merely laughed once more, turning and entering the apartment with the unconscious Moses in her arms; her answer floating out to the others from inside the hall.

"Because he's going to be useful… Last minute decision, but hopefully there's going to be extremely high personal gain for me. That's my reason. You really think I'd do it out of kindness? You're all stupid. But not," She mused quietly, flashing into the bedroom and laying Moses down on the bed. "As stupid as me."

-n/s-

Moses' eye flickered, before suddenly flashing open. He gazed at the unfamiliar ceiling for a few minutes, before suddenly he gasped, his hands flying up to his neck where the fang marks left by Kata had long since healed, all trace of the Thorn gone.

He shot up to a sitting position in a cloud of bedclothes to discover Kata just looking up at him curiously, her mismatched eyes playful.

"Oh, you're awake. Say, why do you wear your hair over your eye? I like it better back." Kata said by way of greeting, to which Moses' hand then flew up to his right eye, before he glared at her.

"You looked?" He snapped, and she laughed, uncrossing her legs. His other eye was not exactly unusual for a Schiff - indeed, a few of his comrades had eyes similar; completely block coloured in their unique teal colour, with no pupil visible. Moses simply hid it because he felt embarrassed; he was the only one with different eyes and for him that was another imperfection.

"Of course, my dear Moses, of course-" She broke off with a sigh as a loud thump sounded from the general direction of the door, which was, as Moses quickly saw, blockaded by the wardrobe.

"Give it up, Hagi boy! I'm not letting you in!" Kata yelled, and the crashing sounds ceased.

"Kata!" Moses recognised the voice as Saya's, muffled though it was by Kata's makeshift barricade. "What are you doing?"

"Having a nice chat with my chevalier! I'll let you in in a bit, so leave me alone!" Kata yelled back, her arms crossed and fury beginning to flicker in her eyes.

"Ch-Chevalier!" Moses spluttered, and she looked back at him once more, an eyebrow raised.

"Indeed. I believe that is what is entailed by drinking my blood." Moses gaped at her, aghast, as she smirked in response.

"Why…Why the _hell_ would you do something like that?" Moses snapped, and Kata chuckled grimly.

"Interesting choice of words there, boy… Hell, mm? Maybe 'cause that's what I'm living? I don't know, is that a suitably cheesy response for you? You seem to be quite into grand mythical statements." Kata smirked as Moses glared at her, before sighing, her face abruptly becoming serious.

"It was a blood price. I wanted your blood, and contrary to popular opinion I do not take without paying. Normally. Your blood for mine, that was the deal, and as a bonus you were cured of the Thorn, and you get eternal life." Kata stated, crossing her legs once more as Moses stuttered at her.

"What deal?" He snapped, and she laughed.

"Ha! You only need wish for something and if it suits me I will grant it whether you truly meant it or not. What was it that you said? Something about 'doing anything' to save your friends?" Moses' eyes widened.

"I didn't… Wait, save my friends?" Kata grinned as he figured out just what she was giving him.

"Indeed. I can save Karman, and Lulu too. Be aware though, there is a price for my blood; Schiff blood, and you serve me. You didn't get a choice in the matter, but they do." Moses blinked at her and she sighed again. "You're the leader. The experiment. If they choose to follow your lead and take my blood in exchange for life and serve me, then brilliant. If they don't, I will not force them; I only need one Schiff."

"And that appears to be me." Moses said with a sigh, calming down somewhat. "I don't think that Karman will agree to this, though…" He muttered, trailing off as Kata smirked at him.

"That is not my problem. I am only making the offer to them; they can take it or leave it. You on the other hand, must simply obey."

"Obey? Serve you? Like all of those other chevaliers, 'if that is what you wish'?" Moses repeated, disgust creeping into his voice. Kata snorted.

"Don't even get me _started_ on that." She answered darkly, before her expression cleared somewhat. "No. I need you to do a few things for me, and after that you are essentially free… the feeling of wanting to be near your master does, I'm told, fade, but I wouldn't take his word for it." Moses looked around, his eye flashing to the suddenly open window as the cream yellow curtains billowed out. As the material subsided, the person Kata had been referring to was revealed.

"He-llo!" Nathan trilled, stepping down from the window sill into the room. Moses' eye widened, before he shot to his feet, barely noticing that he was no longer wearing his cloak; but instead the strange suit that all of the Schiff sported beneath.

"Diva's chevalier!" He exclaimed, his hand flinching instinctively as if to draw his missing scythe.

"Wrong!" Nathan pouted, while Kata began to rub her temples as if she had an extremely bad headache coming on.

"Unfortunately, he's one of mine, not Diva's." She sighed, as Moses looked back to her, shock written across his face.

"One… of yours?"

"Bingo!" Moses winced as Nathan went flying out of the window, before Kata met his gaze once more.

"Yes. But nobody knows about this twat except me, Riku and you." She said, glaring at Nathan as he reappeared. Moses gasped.

"Riku? Kai's little brother?" He asked, and Kata looked at him coyly from beneath her lashes.

"You didn't really think I'd just let such a cute child die, did you?" Moses sat down on the bed, suspecting that he himself may have a migraine of his own coming on, before suddenly shooting upright once more, his feet this time planted on the floor, and staring at his hands.

"I'm not… burning…" He whispered in shocked awe, and Kata blinked, before a highly curious expression crossed her face. It wasn't exactly what you would call sunny, but it was not yet night; enough light spilled through the room that any Schiff should have burst into green flames, and yet Moses stood unscathed.

"Hmm… that's interesting… Random effect of my blood, huh?" She shrugged, filing away the information and seemingly unperturbed; her blood had more strange properties than Saya and Diva's; by this point she was no longer surprised by what it did. "Nathan." She snapped, her voice suddenly commanding and expression business like. "Is James here?" Moses looked up at the mention of that particular chevalier's name.

"Attacking… round about now, I should think." Nathan replied jauntily, drawing the curtains once more as a crash resounded from the other side of the apartment. Kata turned to look at the wall, as shouts for Saya and the clashes of metal on iron-like skin reached her ears.

"You don't say…" She muttered, as Moses dropped his hands, frowning at the sounds of the impending battle. "Anyway, what about Solomon?"

"Released him. He should arrive soon, though he is very injured…" Nathan mused, as Kata rolled her eyes.

"You did give him clothes, right?" Nathan looked hurt, pouting at her.

"Well, of course. Really, what do you take me for?" Suddenly an alarmed expression crossed his face as she gave him a look. "Actually, don't answer that." Kata smiled grimly.

"Oh, I will. Later. But now, I need to watch out for the idiot. Nathan, take Moses back to Riku would you, and for goodness sake don't do anything too imbecilic." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and Moses turned to see Nathan's reaction; which was a girlish pout and some muttering.

"Wait!" He cried, and Kata paused on the window sill, her eerily contrasting eyes fixed on his face questioningly. "If… if you have chevaliers… if you can _make_ chevaliers… then… you're a…"

"Queen." Nathan answered for him, his voice low and for some bizarre reason alluring, as Kata froze, contemplating him.

"Indeed, 'Queen' is the term that is given to my rank in our species. Oh, I see…" She smirked, and stepped down from the window, flicking her hair back with a knowing gesture as Moses frowned at her.

"You're wondering about that picture, right?" Moses' eye widened; the picture she was referring to flashing across his vision.

"So you knew! You knew I'd seen it, as soon as I recognised you back in London!" He burst out, and Kata nodded, still wondering whether there was a point to Moses' questions.

"Why was it there? Why was there a picture of you in Russia, in that place where we were born?" He asked, and the silence that followed his question was weighted so heavily that Moses feared he had unwittingly crossed an un-crossable line, and was about to be used for interior decoration. But Kata finally sighed, and answered the question;

"The man who had that picture… his grandfather had it originally. Or his father, I forget which. And they pass that picture down through the generations, or they did until you killed off their line. That man was there at my… birth. He trained me. That's why." She said softly, the memories that passed before her eyes darkening them to an almost black colour. Moses gulped.

"Trained you?" Kata raised her glowing red and blue eyes to meet his, her expression blank and barely covering the pain that wracked her memory.

"To fight."

A sudden breeze had Moses turning his eyes away, and when he turned back Kata was gone, the cream curtains billowing in the wind. Nathan chuckled, while Moses stared at him, still stunned, his brain practically overloading. The next thing he knew, he was slung over Nathan's shoulder as the blonde chevalier cheerfully carted him off, humming the tune of Diva's song under his breath.

-n/s-

Kata was perched on the roof, watching the unfolding battle with a great deal of disinterest and pocky. She simply watched as James overcame Hagi and then the sleep-ridden Saya, In fact, she could well have been sleeping with her eyes open for all the emotion she showed, even when it seemed as though James was going to slaughter her friend with her own red-jewelled weapon.

She did wake up, however, when Solomon appeared and saved her in movements so quick that Saya's dozy eyes couldn't follow them but Kata saw in perfect clarity; grabbing Saya's sword and wrestling it off his 'brother' chevalier, it's very tip nicking his shoulder and barely breaking the skin as he threw it to the ground. James retreated, surprised, and was almost too shocked to question Solomon's motive.

She heard his answer; 'love', but Kata surprisingly didn't react; her mismatched eyes following Solomon's movements with alarming scrutiny. James leapt back, standing proud in his bestial form on top of yet another ruined car; he proudly began to taunt Saya. She was not safe from him yet.

Suddenly though, and far too conveniently for Kata's liking, a red crack, faintly emitting red light, appeared in his forehead. Her eyes narrowed, leaving Solomon's still fragile form for a brief moment to recognise the affliction that had suddenly hit James; the Thorn.

Lulu repeated Kata's diagnosis, but Kata's eyes had once more returned to Solomon, following only him as Saya retrieved her sword and dealt the final blow to a fast crumbling James; overrun by his body's replacement Schiff limbs affliction.

She tried her hardest to not pay attention to the dialogue that followed between Saya and Solomon; suffice to say it was so cheesy that Kata would later swear she could smell it from seven storeys up. She could tell from Hagi's narrowed eyes that he had noticed Solomon's crystallising chest, and when Solomon disappeared around the corner, melting into the darkness like an apparition, she heard him gently break the news of Solomon's death to Saya, who bore it with a kind of ancient sadness that pained Kata to see.

When the Red Shield van, back from a mission involving satellite broadcasts that Kata, frankly, didn't care for, arrived, she stood, and leapt into the shadows after Diva's ex-chevalier.

-n/s-

Solomon stumbled into the fence, his fingers caressing the part of his chest that was slowly solidifying into stone. Just one little nick. The smallest drop was enough to set them on a road down to death, with no return. Solomon's breath came harshly through his lungs, rattling in his throat and forcing its way through his blueing lips.

He barely managed to raise his head enough to see the shadowy figure to the left of him; recognising the person just as they stepped from the shadows. Struggling to push himself up, Solomon managed to straighten and look the person in the eyes.

"Brother Amshel." He murmured softly, and his frown returned to his face as he raised his hand, obviously trying to summon his blade. However, his knees gave out on him as the radiating coldness of the crystallising spread out through his limbs.

"You fool, Solomon." Amshel said softly, as the younger man lost consciousness, the stony effect of Saya's blood still slowly taking over his body. Amshel shook his head, and you would have thought he was genuinely grieved by Solomon's plight.

Kata wasn't fooled for a second, but instead willed him away; her next actions decided entirely by Amshel's decision.

He left.

He didn't see Solomon's death through to the end, and that was the opening Kata needed.

-n/s-

"My, my, little princess, you _have_ been busy. Just lonely little me for so many years, and then four new chevaliers in less than two years! _Quite_ impressive, I must say." Solomon frowned, for a minute thinking that it must be some kind of awful nightmare to have woken to what appeared to be Nathan's dulcet tones.

"Shut up Nathan." Ah. Someone who shared his views, clearly. Albeit a little more strongly. Solomon struggled to open his eyes and sit up, to find himself restrained by small, but strong hands.

"Lie down, Solomon. I'm not having you throw up on me like he did." Solomon subsided, wondering who 'he' was.

"Hey! Your blood is nasty, woman!" He didn't recognise the retort, but he felt the anger in the air.

"Calm down, Karman." (Moses)

"Please, that's not her fault!" (Riku)

"Oh, shut up all of you. My blood isn't that bad, thank you very much, and if you badmouth it again I'll have you hanging from the ceiling by your earlobes for a week." Solomon finally managed to open his eyes; the person who had restrained him earlier too distracted by the insults flying her way to notice.

He was met by a very strange sight; Kata, or who he thought was Kata, was standing next to him, her back facing him, as she looked out to the person she was arguing with.

Schiff. Two of them; a shorter, dark haired boy with only one teal eye showing; the one who had been used for the basis of the Corpse Cops, Solomon knew, and an older one he did not recognise with glasses and messy brown hair. Next to them was a young boy Solomon instantly recognised; Riku. Kai's brother. He had been human, then Saya's chevalier and then killed by Diva… yet here he was alive. Casting his eyes around the room, Solomon found the person whose voice had first woken him.

"Nathan!" He exclaimed, and Karman broke off from telling Kata just what she could do with her charitable cure for the Thorn to look at the blonde man, as did everyone else.

"Oh, you're awake. Please don't vomit." Kata said grumpily, retreating to curl up in an armchair on the far side of the room, away from the gaggle of males she had brought together.

"Oh, hello~ Solomon! So nice to see you again!" Nathan exclaimed cheerily. Energy coursing back through him as he woke, Solomon lurched to his feet, feeling a little more in control now that he was not lying in bed.

"What's going on? Why are you here? Kata? Or are you Himi?"

"Oh, I knew this would be fun!" Nathan giggled to himself, and then hurriedly ducked when the arm of the chair flew towards him, trailing upholstery.

"You are giving me a migraine, and I don't even effing _get_ migraines! Shut up and sit down, all of you! Nathan, out. Just out." Nathan pouted, and hid himself in the bathroom, his queen too distracted to notice his failure to actually depart from the apartment complex.

The others, stunned by Kata's flashing eyes and sudden temper, meekly seated themselves; Riku on his bed, Solomon on his, while Moses and Karman dropped to the floor; all of them turned towards her like they were watching a show.

Rubbing her temples, Kata sighed, and abruptly shifted. Shifted to what, only Nathan, on the other side of the bathroom door, and Riku recognised; the others saw the change and were completely mystified.

It was, of course, Ibukishi, in all of her splendour, dressed as Kata.

"What…?" Solomon got out, suddenly very thankful that he was sitting down. Ibukishi met his gaze.

"Right, so I'm not Himi or Kata, okay? In a nutshell, those are two fake personalities with a very bare basis of truth that I use to interact with Saya and Diva separately. I'm their little sister, and don't ask how that happened because I won't tell you. I like both of them, and am planning to stop this little bullshit lie they're playing at trying to kill each other, save the world, reunite them and save the babies, etcetera etcetera etcetera. With me so far, everybody? Good." Barely pausing to take a breath, Ibukishi continued. "The persona I'm in now is my 'true' self, which I call Ibukishi. Yes, it's confusing and yes, I have problems. Get over it. Now, Solomon. Saya killed you." Solomon winced, as everyone's eyes turned to him.

"By accident." He protested, and Ibukishi rolled her eyes in a very Kata-like manner.

"Regardless of whether your lovely love killed you purposely or not, the fact remains that she did. Correct?" Reluctantly, Solomon nodded, and Ibukishi continued with a sigh. "Riku was fed Diva's blood, and also began to crystallize like you did. My blood can, for some reason, combat this effect and so, to cut a long story short, I fed you. Clear?" Riku grinned at her happily, while Solomon thought it over; nodding his assent slowly as the pieces clicked together.

"Right. Moses. I forced you to drink my blood as an experiment and thus saved you from the Thorn. Karmen, ditto, only I asked you first. I won't turn Lulu because a) I don't need her and b) she's not on the verge of dying. Nathan was turned a long time ago, and you guys are now all my chevaliers. Are we all understanding this?"

Everybody nodded their assent, and Ibukishi sighed again before dropping back into her armchair. "So, agreement to help me everyone?" They all stared at her for a little longer, before Nathan poked his head out of the bathroom.

"As always, my dear queen, if that is what you wi-" Nathan ducked as Ibukishi threw a lampshade at him.

"I'm happy to help!" Riku smiled softly at her, and her expression relaxed in response, much to the interest of her other chevaliers. "By the way, you told me Solomon would teach me to fight… and get my hand back?" Riku queried, his wide brown eyes flickering over to Solomon, who looked slightly startled.

"What?"

"First command from your new queen, teach the newbie so he doesn't get killed. Good?" Ibukishi instructed, and Solomon nodded mutely, storing his questions for his new 'queen' for later.

"And I would like to help, if I may… they're sisters, and should not have to fight each other… it is all brother Amshel's doing." Solomon's pale blue eyes narrowed, as Ibukishi flapped a hand at him impatiently.

"Yes, yes, brilliant. Thank you." Riku bounded over to Solomon, eager, and began to show him his stump of an arm, explaining how it had happened. Ibukishi chuckled at the sight, before turning her mismatched eyes upon Moses and Karman.

"You two help, and then you're free. Deal?" Both Schiff stared at her for a few minutes, before Moses bowed his head in assent.

"Deal."

"Karman?" Ibukishi said pointedly, and the young man looked up grumpily.

"Oh, alright. But I still think your blood tastes awful." Ibukishi's expression soured, and Karman, unused to Ibukishi's treatment, was caught full in the face with the bottle she threw at him, and he went down with the ship. Ship-bottle, that is, but hey, details.

"Nathan! Diva's show is tomorrow, and I'm worried about what she's wearing. We're leaving, grab me that green dress hanging on the back of the door." She commanded, and Nathan emerged seconds later clutching a peppermint green dress with a pleated skirt, and Himi's pair of pristine white sandals. Looped over the other hand was a white headband sporting green and yellow flowers. Nathan was possibly the only man in forever who could look so good carrying girl's clothes. Solomon had recognised it as Himi style clothing, and as understanding dawned as he realised where Himi was going, Solomon rose to watch, as did the others.

Nathan stepped up to his queen, who smirked at her chevaliers before disappearing into the corridor to change. When she reappeared, she was Himi; though this time only the two Schiff were the ones who did not recognise nor understand the change.

"I'm Himi." Himi beamed at them gleefully, causing both Schiff to take nervous steps back, before Nathan handed Himi a black and hot pink bag with the words 'LA SENZA' printed on the side, and then they both left with only brief smiles of farewell, the door closing behind the four chevaliers with a soft click.

-n/s-

"Look, Himi, I already have a dress for Diva to wear!" Nathan exclaimed, holding his arms out as Diva stepped out from the changing room, garbed in what Nathan had decided she should wear for her MET performance.

Himi choked on her Shirley Temple.

"What in the world is that! ?" She spluttered, aghast as she struggled to retain her ability to breathe normally. Diva, who was in Riku's form as per usual, looked down at it curiously.

It was a long sleeved floor length black dress with hems shaped like the underside of batwings. She had a collar of batwings, with a blue rose, which was coupled with wings on her head and back.

"Her dress!" Nathan cried, as Himi rose from the white couch, her expression positively outraged at the fashion holocaust Nathan had presented to her.

"No. I don't know what that is, but that is not a dress. That is… _vile_." Himi shuddered as she approached Diva, who was looking at her friend with an amused indifference; her mind several meters away with her babies, where they lay curled in their cocoons.

"But _I_ designed it!" Nathan complained, as Himi stripped Diva in about two seconds down to her La Senza underwear. Diva blinked with surprise, before giggling loudly; completely unabashed by her bared body as Himi had known she would be.

"Oh, trust me, I can tell." Himi muttered darkly, delving into one of the many bags she seemed to bring with her whenever she visited Himi (mostly bought with Solomon's credit card). "Now, _this_, this is a dress." Himi declared, whirling around to display what she was holding up in her delicate, temporarily manicured fingers.

It was, as Himi had stated, a dress, in what first appeared to be a very dark, midnight shade of blue, but where the light caught the sheen of the material it blossomed into bright cerulean; almost the exact colour of Diva's eyes when they shone. Its bodice was decorated with swirling patterns picked out in crystal beads and white stitching, trailing their way down the waistline and tailing off as the skirt flared out to a full skirted dress that reached to mid-shin, which was under laid by a ruffled layer of very dark ocean blue silk. The dress had one strap, on the left shoulder that was also decorated with beading and embroidery. It literally took Diva's breath away.

"Oh, it's beautiful…" She murmured, coming forwards and tracing a curve of the patterned bodice with the tip of her finger. Himi smiled, and a minute later Diva was wearing it. It suit her perfectly. She twirled, and Nathan's smirk slipped into a genuinely gently smile, before he caught Himi laughing at him and stopped.

"Now, that. That is a dress." Diva beamed at Himi grabbing her hands and swirling her round until they were both giddy with excitement.

"Soon, I'll wear it on the stage, at my big performance! Under a spotlight, Himi! Won't I shine? Won't I be beautiful?"

"You're always beautiful, Diva." Diva laughed, and Himi smiled along with her, the worry hidden so deep behind the mismatched colours of her eyes that even Nathan could barely see it.

-n/s-

"No, no, no, no, maybe, no, no, no, I will shoot you if you ever show this to me again, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." Kata continued, as Saya's face dropped with every pause. Finally Kata simply dumped the entire contents of Saya's wardrobe on the floor in disgust, despite at least 95% of it having been purchased by her.

"No!" Kata repeated loudly, and Saya flinched. Her friend had been in a bad mood ever since disappearing with her new chevalier; Moses, three days ago. Moses had not been seen nor heard from since, and no trace of Karman could be found. Lulu felt very alone; sure that her fellow Schiff had abandoned her and unaware of Moses' new status as Kata's chevalier.

Kata had stalked in, grumpy, snapping at the questions concerning Moses she was asked; 'he's safe', 'he's fine' and 'no, I don't want to talk about it' were so frequently repeated in angry tones that soon the Red Shield and Saya stopped asking for fear of their health.

Now, Kata was helping Saya pick what to wear to the MET; obviously to go to such a grand occasion as an opera at the MET she could not wear her purple jacket. So far though, Kata had dismissed everything; even the pale pink number that Saya herself had bought and had been planning to wear.

"Kata, seriously. Just leave it, it doesn't matter that much… maybe you should get some rest? Before the MET?" Saya asked cautiously, and was met with a pair of fervently glowing eyes.

"NO. It _matters_. This _matters._ If not to you, then to me. You could die in this dress, Saya, and that matters to _me_. And I'm not coming with you." Kata said shortly, turning to a white bag that stood incongruously by the door.

"What? You're not coming?" Kata raised her head, her hands half in the bag as she paused.

"No. Kata is not coming." She said, and though Saya started at her use of the third person, all such thoughts were forgotten when Kata pulled the dress out of the bag. It was, unbeknownst to Saya, an almost exact mirrored replica of Diva's in red; at first a dark maroon, the light picked it out in bright ember-like patches. It had crystal beading, and a flared skirt that lay over very dark crimson ruffles.

The strap was on the right shoulder, not the left, and the beading was subtly different; less curvy and intricate; more sweeping. But Saya did not know any of that.

She only knew that she thought it was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Kata suddenly began to fidget, her eyes casting about and refusing to meet Saya's gaze as she blushed.

"Um… well, I kind of… made it for you. I was hoping you'd wear it… you know. For this… night." She muttered, and Saya's eyes moistened. "Anyway! Put it on, won't you?" Kata held it out, and as Saya took it, she smiled through her tears.

"Thank you, Kata. You've been a great friend… thank you." Kata sniffed herself.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Save the good-bye speech for someone like Kai. And don't cry; you'll ruin your make up." Saya laughed, and obediently wiped her eyes as Kata helped her get ready.

When Kata presented Saya to the Red Shield, there was a moment of silence, complete stillness. The expressions on Kai's face, Hagi's face… were gobsmacked. And Kata felt proud, then, of her work, and she knew that even if she failed tonight, she had helped to keep, to create, something good.

Her 'creation' glowed, lit by Saya's brief happiness at once more feeling like a princess.

-n/s-

"So, are we ready? Know what we're doing? Riku, how's the hand?" Ibukishi asked, again, as she paced, sweat beading her forehead. She was dressed, in a dress that perhaps one would have associated with Himi, but when you looked closer it was all Ibukishi. It matched Saya's and Diva's, only it had no straps, and was a contrasting purple over white ruffles. Her hair was for possibly the first time, since her plaits had been sliced off, brushed, and neatly clipped behind her ears with sparkling slides.

Even Karman went a bit dreamy eyed when he first saw her; for Ibukishi was stunning, even if she then threw proceeded to throw a picture frame at him.

Riku, in answer to Ibukishi's question, held up his right hand; now a mottled pale ice blue colour, and morphed it into a gleaming white blade, similar to Solomon's. Solomon could not help but grin proudly and ruffle his 'student's hair, and Ibukishi took a deep breath in an obvious effort to calm herself down, before her muttering started up again. Nathan sighed.

"Little princess, please calm down. Why don't you sing for us? Every chevalier of yours should hear that, and it always calms you down." His queen met his surprisingly gentle suggestion with slightly crazed eyes, but when Riku eagerly held out her sliver guitar to her, she took it lovingly. She sat down on the bed, her chevaliers already variously relaxed around the room.

She took her time, caressing it for a moment before she closed her eyes. The song almost burst from her at once; clearly Nathan was right; singing was almost therapeutic to his queen Ibukishi.

"_Wait, waiting for a sign, crying to the sky_

_For love to come around, so hope won't let me down_

_Shadows carry on, the light is all but gone_

_Your promise calls to me, a love so rescue me._"

"_There is a hope beyond this night_

_There is a saviour in the sky_

_Giving their life to set this world on fire._"

"_Here, before the flames begin, may passion burn within_

_Our anthem as we wait, for love to save the day._"

"_There is a hope beyond this night_

_There is a saviour in the sky_

_Giving their life to set this world on fire._"

"_So as the darkness closes in_

_Know that the sun will shine again_

_Bringing salvation to a world on fire._"

"_As our king you will bring, your truth to guide and keep us_

_All of hell cannot prevail against your love_."

"_May your light,_" Here, very softly, very suddenly, Nathan joined in; echoing his queen's song in such a way only a true chevalier would have been able to do.

"_(Waiting for a sign.)_"

"_Take my life,_" "_(crying to the sky)_"

"_Set my heart,_" "_(for love to come around)_"

"_On fire…_" "_(so hope won't let me down)_"

"_There is a hope beyond this life,_" "_(may your light)_"

"_There is a savior in the sky,_" "_(take my life)_"

"_Giving their life to set this world on fire._" "_(set my heart on fire)_"

"_So as the darkness closes in,_

_Know that the sun will shine again,_

_Bringing salvation to a world on fire…_"

Somehow, the song, which so calmed and comforted Ibukishi, drove home to the five chevaliers how serious their task was. And yet, it strengthened their resolve; for all of their separate, variously selfish reasons, they were going to stop the war that had ended and given them their lives.

Ibukishi looked up, her eyes glowing.

"Time to go."

-n/s-

The theatre was dark; the only light shed on the stage were some vaguely, half-hearted stage lights that had escaped the destruction, and the moon; which filtered down through the crater in the roof that had been created by Hagi and Amshel's battle.

Now, Amshel was impaled on a building, several hundred meters above. Hagi stood in the audience, watching silently, with Nathan slightly behind him; looking after the babies' cocoons.

Up in the box, Joel and Okamura sat, watching with bated breath. Kai stood at the bottom of the stage, even he frozen by the sight. David was outside in the corridors, fighting the surplus of chiropterans created by Diva's song. Lewis and Lulu were outside, unwittingly aided by the Corpse Cops, also eliminating the beasts.

On the stage, Saya and Diva were the main performance. Neither had had the heart to rip their beautiful dresses; neither having time to spare a thought for their matching identical-ity. So, although hindered by their skirts, they resolutely held onto their presents from their friend. Both held swords; Saya's usual one was gripped in her hands, the red jewel from her father glinting at it's hilt.

Diva wielded a rapier; also coated with her blood as was Saya's. They were fighting to kill; both facing each other, panting from their last exchange of blows, glaring with glowing eyes.

And hidden from everybody was Riku; up in the ceiling with Solomon, waiting for Ibukishi's signal. Around the sides were the Schiff, awaiting the same signal. And up in the box that directly faced the stage, Ibukishi sat, surveying the show from her darkened, hidden vantage point. As her sisters readied themselves to once again try to kill each other, her painted lips curved up into a smile, as her eyes began to glow.

-n/s-

Saya was tired. So, so, so sleepy. But she wouldn't stop; she had a mission to accomplish, and she would do it if it killed her. When it killed her.

Never mind that she didn't want to die.

She would do it.

-n/s-

Diva was upset. She thought she was upset, anyway. She didn't want to fight Saya; not really. She had never fought her before; not properly, properly.

But this time it was properly. Because she had to protect her children.

They could not die.

-n/s-

"I have nothing more to say to you." Saya stated, her voice calm as she once more loaded her blade with the deadly poison of her blood. Diva's eyes narrowed.

"Nor I to you." She agreed, running her finger down the edge of her own sword. Both sisters paused, however, when a strangely familiar giggle echoed around the theatre's ornate features.

"Oh, such a shame!" A voice cried, again echoing everywhere; outside, inside, around the physical features and through the ears of the humans, and also sounding, pure as a bell, inside the heads of all chiropterans.

"Because I have so much more to say to you!"

* * *

**Dun dun dun! **

**So, maybe I surprised some people with the Moses? Solomon? Nathan, Karman? Any of it? XD I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know in a review what you thought!**

**(Next one's the biggie! and I would greatly appreciate your opinion on the question at the top: should I continue?)**


	24. Chapter 23 : Two Queens

**Chapter 23 - Two Queens**

"Oh, such a shame, because I have so much more to say to you!" Both Saya and Diva broke off from each other, distracted, and looked around anxiously for the source of the giggling. It had suddenly trailed off into laughter, and then abruptly stopped, echoing faintly among the tinkling of the dull chandeliers.

"Who…" Saya whispered, as Diva cast her eyes about once more, her ears remembering the familiarity of the giggle.

"Oh, that is the question, isn't it?" Both Diva and Saya whirled around, and almost in the same instant they set eyes upon the space behind them, on the 'grassy' area of the Zoo set, where there stood an almost unbearably recognisable figure, clothed in purple and white. In unison, Diva and Saya gasped;

"Himi!"-"Kata!" Immediately their eyes flashed to meet the other's gaze; confused. Ibukishi giggled.

"Oh, no, neither." Saya froze, while Diva frowned, her expression suddenly very hard and almost reflective; no one could read anything from it.

"What do you mean, Kata?" Saya asked, her eyebrows descending over her brow as suspicions circled her mind. Diva turned on her twin.

"No, what do you mean, 'Kata'? Her name is Himi, sister." Diva said, laughing at Saya's assumption of the identity of the person.

"Himi? No, it's Kata, my friend…" Saya trailed off, and Diva bit back her retort as Ibukishi began to laugh.

"Oh, you silly people. I'm not Himi, and I'm not Kata. But at the same time, I am Himi _and_ I'm Kata. Do you understand now?" Ibukishi grinned, her mismatched eyes displaying the truth to her claim of identity clearly. Hagi had appeared next to his queen, by her side and wary of any threat this 'Himi/Kata' person could pose.

And yet, deep in his narrowed eyes, Ibukishi could see deep betrayal. Her lips curved upwards once more.

"Come on, Hagi boy. Don't look at me like that; you've never trusted me from the start. Don't act like I've betrayed you or some such nonsense. I haven't betrayed anybody." Ibukishi smiled, as Diva's glare grew cold.

"Oh, but you have, Himi. You've betrayed me; for you are on my sister Saya's side, aren't you? You've gone flocking to her side with everybody else." Diva accused, her voice low. Ibukishi chuckled, her head tilting to face the Blue Queen as Saya trembled to her left.

"I haven't. I'm not on anybody's side but my own." Saya gave another gasp.

"So you were with Diva?" She exclaimed, and Ibukishi calmly turned her head to the other twin.

"No. I was 'Kata' with you, and 'Himi' with Diva. When I wasn't with Saya, I was with Diva. Do you see _now_? I've been fooling both of you all along… the way I disappear whenever you two meet. The way I won't tell you where I'm going when I leave you. You didn't see?" She asked, as Diva and Saya stared at their friend. "I'm not on either side. I'm not with the Red Shield, I'm not with Cinq Fleshes. I'm in the middle, with me." She continued, with another smile, and both sisters abruptly saw something in their friend that they didn't recognise; perhaps Diva saw an element of Kata, perhaps Saya glimpsed Ibukishi. They didn't know, but her words rang true.

"You… you've been…" Saya struggled, but her twin had no such difficulties;

"You've been playing with both of us!" Diva exclaimed, and Ibukishi smiled benignly at them, her ancient cruelty suddenly displayed all too clearly in her eyes.

"That would be one way of putting it, I suppose… I've been playing with both of you. I've sung to both of you, I've laughed with both of you, I've saved and helped both of you. And I dressed both of you tonight, for this night is the night when it will all end." Her smile began to reflect the coldness in her mismatched eyes, her expression turning sinister, as her two sisters stared at her aghast.

"Ah, excellent. Everybody's arrived." Saya, Diva and Hagi all followed Ibukishi's gaze into the audience; where Nathan still lounged next to the blue cradle containing Diva's babies. But Nathan was not where Ibukishi was looking; six eyes; three red and three blue, followed the shadowy humanoid figures as they made their way down the centre of the theatre. The closer they got to the stage, the clearer their identities became.

"Moses!" Kai let out a yell, running in from off stage, his gun forgotten in his clenched hand as he spotted his friend, for the first time in weeks since Kata had drunk his blood.

But Moses barely spared him a glance, and Kai ground to a halt when he realised that Moses was carrying David over his shoulder; while the blonde man had obviously given up struggling; disarmed of all his weaponry. Karman appeared out of the darkness, but he wasn't carrying anyone; clearly Lulu had decided to follow compliantly; she trailed behind, looking lost and questioning, but at that moment making no audible complaints; the trust she held for her fellow Schiff holding her tongue.

"Kata, what-"

"Oh, for heaven's sake Saya, I'm not Kata, I _was_ Kata. Frequently. Would you like to repeat that to help you remember it? I seem to recall you like to do that." Ibukishi smirked, the Kata element in her personality shining through in a flash as she was distracted from watching the Schiff cart the members of the Red Shield around. Saya froze; the fact that this not-Kata person had indeed at some point been masquerading as 'Katana Ibukishi', the mismatched, funny and altogether very strange girl who had been Saya's friend for over fifty years, suddenly very apparent.

Confused, Diva tilted her head as she watched the water spill from Saya's eyes. Suddenly, understanding dawned on her pretty face, and she exclaimed excitedly, forgetting herself for a moment;

"Himi! Himi, they're tears, aren't they? Doesn't that mean she's sad? Oh... but, you're not Himi." Ibukishi turned her head, a smile gracing her lips.

"Yes, Diva I am, ah, _was_, Himi. Those are tears Diva; do you remember when I cried? I told you about tears, and nightlights... remember?" Both Saya and Diva stared at her for almost a full five minutes, while Ibukishi's expression gradually soured more and more as the seconds ticked by.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" She exclaimed. "I have a three way split personality! I have problems! Do I honestly need to say it _again_? We're on a tight schedule here, and I didn't expect you two to be so incredibly _slow_." She said scathingly, striding to the centre of the stage with a toss of her head, and directing her next words through the ceiling. "I know you're up there, Amshel, so get your purple arse down here before I drag it down for you!" She yelled, and there was a blue flash that only the three sisters could follow as Amshel reappeared, clothed in his tattered prune coloured suit once more, standing next to Diva in his human form, his eyes greedily drinking in Ibukishi in a highly inquisitive manner.

Barely suppressing a snort, Ibukishi glanced over to where her two Schiff had finally managed to assemble all of the people she wanted; David, and Kai, who had rather conveniently run on stage by himself. The rest of the Red Shield members, she knew, would have been summoned by 'Joel' to the box, where they were all watching the spectacle as they tried to figure out who had actually summoned them. Hagi and Amshel stood with their respective queens, and Nathan was still lounging in the audience with his two infant cocooned charges.

"Well, now everyone really is here." Ibukishi observed, giving them all a blinding smile.

"What do you want… um…" Kai's demand started out aggressive until he realised that he no longer knew how to address his adversary; she smiled winningly again and addressed her entire audience.

"Ibukishi. I don't have a name, but for now you may call me Queen Ibukishi." The mismatched eyed girl finally properly introduced herself, and everyone grew very still, for once the opposing sides of either twin held immobile and at peace by the mystery Ibukishi presented.

"Queen?" It was Amshel who voiced the question, though it was clear from everyone's faces that they were all thinking it; her chevaliers also; even the two who were still hidden in the rafters.

"Oh, yes. I believe that is the term. Would you like to call myself a pureblood? That's another one. An original? That works too. Oh, but I forgot; you silly people know next to nothing about chiropterans!" She giggled, as her two sisters stepped closer and their respective allies joined them, until a sort of campfire type ring was formed with Ibukishi at its focal point.

"And I suppose you do?" Amshel queried, his expression clearly displaying his opinion that she was insignificant.

"Oh, you have no idea. But what with this very precisely timed series of events I have set up, we can't discuss that now. But I'll tell you what you've all been dying to know since the start. I'll tell you who I am."

-n/s-

"So? Who are you?" Hagi asked, in a surprisingly benign manner given the situation, though that could have just been an effect of his apathetic tone. But for possibly the first time in her life, Ibukishi shut her eyes and actually answered the question.

"I'm a chiropteran pureblood, commonly referred to as a 'queen'. I am Saya and Diva's younger sister, created almost fifteen years after their conception."

"Created?" Amshel pounced, snatching the word out of Joel's mouth, and Ibukishi glared at him.

"Oi, mister, I've been planning this moment for a hell of a long time, so don't mess it up for me, okay?" Sighing and muttering several expletives, the only clue so far as to just how strung up she was, Ibukishi continued.

"Yes, created. I'm like the Schiff; I'm an artificial Chiropteran." A long silence followed her statement; and although no one saw anybody else's mouth move, the word 'artificial' ran around the circle in a whispering chorus.

"A-artificial?" Saya asked, and Ibukishi bit her lip and continued with a nod.

"Yes. I was created in a test tube by directly combining the DNA of Saya and Diva's mother and aunt; hence genetically speaking I'm their younger sister. Before you say one word about the involvement of chevaliers, think for a second. What gives the chevalier the ability to mate with his queen's sister? His queen's blood. The babies are created from the chromosomes in the queen's natural eggs, and combined with the chromosomes of their sister in the chevalier's blood; so only females are born. I'm not repeating it, so if you didn't get it too bad."

"You guys are idiots on so many levels I could be here until next Christmas listing them, but this has got to be one of your biggest blunders. People have noticed. People see Chiropterans, and people see Saya and Diva. And they don't think 'oh, she's definitely the goodie!' when they see Saya running around with a bloody sword. They view all of you as evil; abominations. So what do we do? We create a weapon. Fight fire with fire. Poison with poison. Chiropteran with Chiropteran. Queen with queen." Realisation began to dawn on the assembled crowd's faces.

"Yeah, you got it. I'm the weapon, specially created and trained to kill chiropterans, nothing else. No personality was allowed for, no name was given. I'm a bit like… okay, a queen always gives birth to a pair of twins naturally, but they didn't want opposing twins, they wanted a combination, so I'm like two twins stitched together in one body. Gross, I know."

"So I was fighting. Then an idiot came along, drank my blood, gave me a personality and introduced me to you two. More idiots. My life is full of them." Ibukishi broke off with the realisation, before shaking her head to clear it and continuing with a deep breath; her expression hinting rather suspiciously that she was completely ignoring her spellbound audience as she spilled out her story, her mismatched eyes fixed on Nathan's distant steady blue ones."He made himself my chevalier…"

"Wait! But, you said that Moses was your first!" Saya exclaimed, and Ibukishi broke off again as her eyes flicked to her red eyed sister.

"I lied. He was my third. I now have five." She stated matter-of-factly. "But anyway, long story short, I had a familial obligation to stop you guys from fighting each other. And wiping out my existence, incidentally. The number of times I have tried to get you guys to give up? Insane. I don't have enough fingers and toes amongst all of my chevaliers to count. Finally, I decided the best way was direct confrontation. So here we all are, happy families, huh?" She finished rather abruptly, but Amshel was still focused on the idea that she had five chevaliers.

"Five? Who? I only see three Schiff, which leaves room for two more… this does beg the question who?" Amshel said smarmily, which actually made Saya flinch, Hagi's expression tightening in disgust, but clearly Ibukishi shared their sentiments; she actually looked like she was trying to choke back bile.

"Oh, genius." She said scathingly. "Nathan." She commanded, and in a flash the blonde homosexual was standing by her side, the basket containing Diva's babies slung over one arm. Everyone froze; Amshel and Diva's expressions the most priceless, in Ibukishi's opinion. "Oh, and Lulu isn't mine. So two more, huh? Wouldn't you like to know?" Ibukishi laid the bait, and Amshel took it, his eyes narrowing as they rested on her face.

"Solomon." He guessed, as Ibukishi cheered, and the man in question also flashed down to stand by his queen's shoulder, sending Saya a gentle smile before Ibukishi pointedly stepped on his toe.

"Yay! One more, but I bet you won't get that one. I don't think you've met him." She shrugged, as Amshel's gaze narrowed at both Solomon and Nathan, who were both completely indifferent; moving back to allow their queen to take the spotlight once more.

"Well then, are we all agreed? Let's do what I want for a change, hmmm?" She asked, but despite her cheerful façade both of her sisters could see the dangerous glint that gleamed in her eyes; she was serious.

"What's that? What is it that you want?" Diva demanded, her fists clenching.

"Two things." Ibukishi held up two fingers, her expression immediately wiped of all emotion. "First; you give me a name."

-n/s-

"A… name?" Kai repeated, his bewilderment reflected in the faces of everyone on and off stage. Ibukishi nodded, her face shadowed.

"Seems like a silly thing, doesn't it? Stupid to go this far for a name. Yes… a name is simply a convenience, but it is necessary. I don't have one." Ibukishi explained, and Saya could not help her bark of incredulous laughter.

"You've got _two _names!" She snapped, but her anger was quelled the instant Ibukishi met her gaze, and for the first time Saya really say her for who she was. Not funny. Not confident. Not spunky, not witty, not any of the other things that Kata was. Not even girlish or giggly or stylish, like Himi. She was broken, and absolutely terrified. She was barely a person, so consumed was she by not only her two other personalities, but also by her want. That desire; that single, burning need for a name… It was all that stood between her younger sister and complete insanity.

"No. I have no names. A name I have chosen for myself is not a name. I want a name given to me by my family. Our parents, our aunt; they're all dead. You're all that's left, and I want a name from you. Both of you. I want you to choose one for me, together." The sudden bizarre hugeness of exactly what she was asking suddenly hit them; she was asking them to work together. Saya and Diva. To actually sit down and discuss something.

You could have heard a pin drop, but that didn't faze Ibukishi; who continued to look both of her older sisters in the eyes; red meeting blue, blue meeting red. Finally, Saya spoke.

"And if we refuse?" Ibukishi's expression somehow dropped, and her eyes found the floor.

"Please don't. Please. It's just one name, and for all I've done for you, surely you can grant me just this request in return. Please." Neither Diva nor Saya had ever heard such raw emotion as she pleaded to them, and when their gazes met there was an unspoken agreement. Kata and Himi had been there for them, respectively, she had helped them, comforted them, bought them presents, made them laugh. They both owed her that much, and more.

"I'll do it." Diva announced, ignoring Amshel's quiet protest, and Saya nodded her head in agreement.

"Me too." Ibukishi's face lit up in the most genuine smile they had seen all evening, and that was enough to strengthen each of their resolves.

Warily, the two sisters faced each other, before Saya made a cautious suggestion.

"We could… start with the alphabet? I start with a name beginning with A, then you, and then we do B?" She asked, and Diva, after working through it in her mind, nodded her assent.

"Amelia."

"Annabel."

"Beatrice."

"Bethany."

"Candice."

"Christie."

"Dora."

"Delia." As each name was spoken, the thoughtful expressions on the sisters' faces grew deeper as they really tackled the problem, wanting to come up with the perfect name for their friend.

Who knows how long it took, but soon they discarded the alphabet idea and began earnest discussion, Diva supplying a surprising amount of knowledge on the meaning of various names; that she had in fact gleaned from pouring over baby name books. Ibukishi knew this, and so was quite thankful that the twins were female, or she suspected Diva would be suggesting male names.

Finally, the twins decided. Most were no longer following the hushed, urgent discussion but Ibukishi; who soaked up each and every word eagerly, her concentration focused on remembering each and every suggestion. But everyone heard when they announced it in unison;

"Adelphia."

"Greek, meaning 'born of the same womb', 'sibling'." Diva finished, while Saya simply looked at Ibukishi's face, which was completely blank. The silence stretched.

"Adel…phia. Adelphia." She tested it, letting the word roll around her mouth and slip off her tongue as she tasted it. Her name. Her smile started small, but it grew rapidly, as did Nathan's, and Solomon's and Moses', and even Karman's, and especially Riku's hidden smile, up in the rafters still.

"Adelphia." Nathan tried it, the word sounding different in his voice, and yet at the same time, just right. "It's perfect. I like it." His queen shot him a look.

"What, so you approve?" She asked sarcastically, and he grinned at her.

"Yes. Yes, I do. My queen, Adelphia." He dropped to one knee, head lowered in respect, and her other chevaliers followed suit, with the exception of their smallest member; Riku.

-n/s-

"You said two things." Diva stated, and Adelphia broke off from testing her name, suddenly reminded of her mission.

"Oh… yes. The second thing is… you stop fighting. Stop trying to kill each other." She stated, and a heavier silence than any that had passed so far descended. This demand was far steeper than a name, and Saya was the first to protest;

"What? NO! Diva… Diva is the cause of all the misery and destruction! She killed everyone! She killed Joel, she killed Riku… she's death! She can't live! We're wrong, _we_ can't live!" She cried passionately, and while the Red Shield nodded their agreement to her statement, Adelphia's eyes were cold.

"She was locked in a fucking _tower_, Saya. Do you really think you'd be completely sane after that? When all she knew, for thirty years, was experiments, darkness, pain and blood? She only knew death Saya, and did you ever take her hand, try to show her that it was wrong? How was she to know, when no one ever told her?" And despite the apparent apathy in her voice, it was every bit earnest as Saya's outburst. Diva frowned.

"I… It's wrong? But why?" She asked, confused, and Ibukishi turned to her.

"Diva, do you want to fight Saya?" Diva blinked, her pure blue eyes widening.

"No… I don't want to fight sister Saya. But at the same time… I want to kill her. For my babies." She answered, her usually high defences lowered by the familiarity of 'Himi' - who was still there, mixed in with the strands of the person who was now called Adelphia. Saya refused to meet either of her sisters' eyes, until Adelphia's hands grasped her shoulders, her confidence and sense of 'self' growing with each passing second with a name.

"You don't really want to kill her, do you Saya?" She asked softly, pleading with her mismatched eyes. "Not really, truly?" Saya's eyes narrowed, her gaze still fixed on the floor.

Thunder crackled, and rain began to fall through the crater in the roof created by Amshel and Hagi's earlier battle, plinking onto the floor and slowly soaking into the assembled people's clothes and hair. But such was the seriousness of the situation, that not one person moved, even as the rain trailed tear marks down their faces.

"Saya?" Hagi prompted her gently, having seen where Adelphia was headed with this idea and fully supporting it.

"I… no." She whispered. The Red Shield and Diva alike stiffened, but Adelphia smiled knowingly.

"No?" Kai repeated, dumbstruck, and Saya shut her eyes.

"No! I… I don't want to fight! I want to go home! I want to go back to Okinawa, to the Omoro with Kai and Hagi and everybody! I don't… I don't want to kill anyone!" She cried, her eyes scrunching together as she tried to contain her tears, as well as the words she had been keeping locked inside her for so long. She bit her lip and the steady warmth of Hagi's hand as he placed it on her shoulder in comfort radiated through the cold, wet rain that soaked her skin.

Adelphia smiled again, happiness creeping into her eyes as she turned back to face Diva, her rain drenched hair whipping around her face and sending rain drops flying.

"See? How stupid is it to fight, to try and kill each other, when really you're sisters? When you're family? When you both want nothing more than to live peacefully and quietly with those you love the most? You two are just too stubborn to see it!" Adelphia exclaimed, while Saya and Diva's eyes met; both hearing her words, accepting their meaning and somehow… agreeing with her.

"I… I can show you…" Saya whispered, and both Diva and Adelphia's eyes widened, as a blush tinted Saya's cheeks. "I mean… If you like, I can show you why… it's wrong. Why there's a better way than killing?" Her voice rising at the end, turning the sentence into an unintentional question. Diva opened her mouth, and nobody, not even Himi, knew what her answer was going to be. But they never found out; for at that moment Amshel stepped in front of his queen, arm held out and expression severe.

"Enough talk, _Adelphia_." Amshel sneered, and in his voice her name became an insult. Her mismatched eyes narrowed dangerously as he walked forwards, separating himself from the loose ring of people who surrounded her. Adelphia stepped forwards, away from Saya, and in that next instant Amshel vanished; the swoop of moving air and the telltale blue flash the only signs of his sudden movement.

Adelphia whirled around and caught sight of him moving behind Saya, and the realisation of what he was going to do hit her in the next second.

Saya barely had time to turn to the side as he stabbed her through her midriff with his bare human hand, her precious blood spurting as he drove her backwards towards Adelphia, bloodied fingers reaching. Adelphia's eyes widened, but it was too fast for her to react to it. While she had anticipated Amshel becoming a problem, she couldn't believe that he would try to kill her through Saya.

And then a warm, comfortingly familiar hand clasped her shoulder and shoved her backwards, sending Adelphia tumbling head over heels, her agility the only thing saving Kai from yet another concussion at her hands. Flipping over with cat-like agility and landing gracefully on her feet, she was already moving forwards, hand outstretched as a cry tore its way from her throat.

"DIVA!" Her voice echoed even as she came to a stop, and Amshel withdrew his hand with a horrible squelching noise, his face completely wiped of all expression but shock. Diva trembled as her chevalier's hand removed itself from first her stomach, and then her twin's. Saya fully turned around, her own eyes widening in horror even as the gaping hole in her abdomen began to try and pull itself together.

Hagi caught her as she fell, but nobody moved to restrain Adelphia as she sprinted towards her blue-eyed sister, and she caught her broken body as Diva collapsed, the hole in her stomach making no move to heal.

"Hi… Adelphia… You're… okay…" She whispered as Adelphia lowered Diva into a reclining position in her arms, tears beginning to collect in the corners of her eyes. Wordlessly she nodded, and Diva smiled, raising a trembling hand to caress her face, pale fingertips trembling.

A crack, that was in reality very small and almost silent, seemed to resound in Adelphia's ears. Her tears overflowed, as the cold, grey stone began to appear at the tips of Diva's fingers, spreading almost gently along the graceful appendages.

* * *

**Okay, first off; it's supposed to be short. Secondly, I agonised over this for hours... and I'm terrified of your reactions! Um... please don't hate me if you don't like it? **

**Hope you enjoy anyway, and please review! XD**


	25. Chapter 24 : White and Blue

**Chapter 24 - White and Blue**

Diva was dying. Saya's blood sped ever faster through her system, creeping along the tiniest capillaries, inching into every last tissue, fissuring her skin with stone as tears slipped down Adelphia's cheeks.

"NO! Diva, please… stay with me! How can it be so fast…? !" She muttered, as she held out her hand almost absentmindedly. Nathan pressed a knife into it, reacting to her wishes on an instinct that was just that much faster than her newer chevaliers. Reaching down, Adelphia slashed her wrist open with a reckless abandon that made all but Nathan flinch, her blood spurting with shocking energy and appearing almost hideously bright as it gushed.

"Wait! My queen, think of what you are doing!" Nathan interrupted, a thought having apparently hit him suddenly, and Adelphia paused, her wrist hanging mere inches from Diva's mouth. To those who knew her, the simple action of her stillness spoke volumes of how highly she valued Nathan.

His gaze flickered to the spectators, before he ploughed on quietly; "Think of what you were made for." He whispered, and Adelphia jolted as if she had been struck. Her mismatched eyes widened, unmoving and fixed on an uncertain point, before almost painfully slowly they returned to Diva's face, pale as ever and framed by dark, damp hair.

"To… kill…" Adelphia muttered, her head rearing backwards in denial. "No! No, no, no, no, no! That can't be! It has to work…" Her gaze desperately turned to Nathan, searching his sombre gaze with ever increasing despair. "No…" She sobbed brokenly, her bleeding wrist finally healing with a squelch, as if mocking the fact that Diva was not recovering.

Saya, who had been completely frozen, suddenly lurched forwards with a cry, Hagi aiding his queen to her sisters' sides. Similarly, Saya clutched Diva's other hand, her tears beginning to flow just as freely as Adelphia's.

"Wait… No, Diva… It wasn't supposed to end like this! You were supposed to take me with you!" She screamed, her head bowed over her twin's ever prostrate form. With difficulty, Diva turned her head, her crystalline eyes searching for Saya's tear stained face.

"Oh… so you wanted to stay with me… sister Saya…" She murmured, tightening her fingers around Saya's clasped hands. Adelphia's shoulders shook with barely suppressed emotion as she turned to Nathan once more, her wish clearly conveyed to him without the need for words.

Almost silently, Nathan placed the two cocoons down by Diva, and Adelphia guided her friend's hand to rest upon their webbed surfaces, tears still sipping down her face silently. Amshel was silent, completely frozen as he tried to process what he had just done, eyes unseeing, while everyone else was enraptured.

"My… babies…" Diva murmured, her fingers moving almost absently across their webbed surfaces, a small smile alighting on her face. Her grip tightened on Saya's hand, but her wavering eyes focused upon Adelphia, burning brightly with sudden intensity.

"Adelphia. Promise me. Promise that you'll look after them. That you'll sing that song for them, that you'll tell them…" Diva whispered, and Adelphia smoothed her forehead, tears still slipping steadily down her cheeks.

"Of course. Of course, I promise you, Diva. I give you my word upon my honour as a queen and as your sister, I will. I'll tell them." Adelphia agreed, fervour shining unnaturally bright in her mismatched eyes.

"Saya… live." She breathed, using the very last scraps of her energy to turn those crystalline blue eyes one more to her babies, even as her fingers stilled into stone upon their webbing.

And in the MET, under the rain, the light in Diva's eyes dimmed, cold grey taking over her beautiful dark hair, the pale china of her skin, the rosy hue of her lips, the bright blue of her eyes, and Diva died, while her sisters wept for her.

-n/s-

Adelphia looked up, eyes glazed over with tears, only when Nathan touched her shoulder gently, having ignored even Saya's pleas for her to react. It had been almost twenty minutes since Diva's stone corpse had cracked and broken apart into gleaming red shards, glinting dully in the meagre light from the stormy sky. And Adelphia had gazed at those shards unseeingly, unmoving, almost as if any sense of self that she had gained with her name had flown along with Diva's life.

But she focused on Nathan.

"You…" Her eyes suddenly seemed to focus almost painfully, and the next minute she flew at him, sobbing. "You knew! You _knew_ this would happen! You've just been _waiting _for it! Why? WHY?" She screamed, fists flying, until finally Nathan caught her wrists, an ancient sadness like nothing they had ever seen before flaring in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, holding her gaze, and Adelphia finally stilled, staring at him with tears still tracing down her cheeks. She suddenly seemed to go limp, falling into Nathan's waiting arms with a small whimper.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this." She whispered, and Nathan held her, stroking her hair.

"I know." He murmured back. Silence reigned for several minutes, before Adelphia seemed to almost physically pull herself together, standing up and sniffing, eyes burning angrily as she turned to look at Diva one last time.

She didn't say anything. Nobody said anything, and then Kai walked forwards to stand by the corpse of his arch enemy.

"This is for Riku." He said, reaching down to do god knows what, but the next second there was a deafening 'crack', and Adelphia was standing there, eyes flickering, holding his broken wrist in her slender hand.

"Oh? For Riku, hmmm? If you are seriously suggesting that she died _for Riku_, then you had better re-evaluate that opinion _fast._" She threatened, for some reason scarier than Kata had ever been. Kai gasped, tears springing to his eyes as he clutched at the broken bones in his arm as Adelphia twisted.

"So why don't you enlighten me, because I have never understood this. All of you. Why should Diva die for Riku?" She asked, her voice dangerously laced with fury. If Ibukishi had been close to insanity, then it was nothing compared to Adelphia in her grief-stricken anger.

Everything had been building and building and building for so long, and now it seemed that she'd snapped.

"She killed him!" Kai yelled, and a strange expression came over Adelphia's face.

"No, she didn't." Everyone froze, while a small sigh escaped Adelphia's lips.

"Oh, alright, my plan's screwed up anyway. You can come down, Riku." Adelphia said. There was a blue blur, and Adelphia finally let go of Kai's broken wrist. He clutched it to his chest, everyone's eyes fixated with painful focus upon the slight form which now stood by Adelphia's side.

"Riku…" Kai breathed, and his little brother smiled at him.

"Heya, Kai! Saya, Hagi, David… It's so nice to see everybody again!" Riku beamed at them all, before he was suddenly crushed into a bone-breaking hug by his older brother, tears seeping into the soft material of his jacket. Adelphia watched the interaction with a curious expression, tears drying on her face and complexion evening out.

Saya took a stumbling step forwards, reaching for her brothers, and soon nearly all but Adelphia, Hagi, Nathan and the Schiff were all enveloped in a group hug, which pulled apart gradually only when the rain began to falter in its steady stream.

Everyone's attention was instantly caught when Amshel moved; just the slightest shuffle of his foot as he unfroze was enough. Adelphia walked towards him, expression hard and eyes cold.

"Amshel… Goldsmith. I should have killed you a long time ago." She stopped in front of him, her words barely above a whisper as she met his gaze. He stared at her, before his taunt body seemed to slump, tension and fight running out of his muscles like a mask slipping off.

There was an almost audible intake of breath when he dropped to his knees in front of her, head bowed, as mismatched eyes gazed down at him haughtily.

"I see you know a little of your place, Chevalier…" She murmured, reaching out almost gently to touch his hair. The next instant, there was a loud ripping noise, like sheets being ripped apart, and Amshel's body flopped to the ground, gushing blood as Adelphia held up his head to look into his eyes.

Her fangs slid out, and she raised the head a little higher, tongue flickering out to taste the few crimson drops that fell from his ragged neck, before she dropped his head, the stone shattering into the silence.

She turned, ignoring the disturbed looks that she was receiving from all except Nathan, and strode towards the cocoons that held her nieces. She bent over them in an achingly caring way, how highly she prized these two, tiny, barely there lives clear in her every movement; a whole gentleness softly falling from her eyes and gestures in a way that Saya had never seen in her friend before.

"What are you going to do, Saya?" Adelphia's voice was curious, lilting, the tremor that belied her temporarily buried grief barely audible as she tilted her head to meet her sister's eyes. "Will you kill them?" Saya's breath choked in her throat.

"I… I don't want them to be used for war." She whispered, stepping forwards. The others made no comments, Riku watching from under his brother's protective arm, Hagi gazing at Saya carefully. This was a family matter, for Saya and Adelphia alone to handle.

"Neither do I." Adelphia replied complacently, gently scooping the cocoons into her arms. Saya gaped at her.

"So… they have to die?" Saya asked, a tremble appearing in her voice as Adelphia's eyes, so different and yet so familiar, flickered up to meet her own again.

"There are many ways of protecting them, Saya. The Red Shield no longer have a purpose, but to protect you and your loved ones. I am not helpless in this world, information guru, remember?" Her head tilted, a brief smirk alighting on her face. "But if you try to kill them, I will fight you, Saya. I will kill you to protect these children." She stated, her voice not particularly cold nor unfeeling, but no less sincere for it. Saya's eyes narrowed, irrational anger flaring in her.

"You really think you could? I've been fighting for longer than you have." She said, her body thrumming with aggressive defence, much to the interest of those watching. Adelphia was unmoved by this display of queenly pride, however, her head tilting slightly as she appraised her older sister.

"And I was made to kill you. Are you willing to try it? What will you do?" She repeated, their gazes locked.

Time stretched, flexing around them as they stared, Adelphia calm, Nathan's eyes narrowed, Hagi waiting, Saya internally trying to make a decision, before Riku stepped from his brother's embrace, approaching his queen with an ease that made Saya's heart ache, even as Kai followed, trying to pull him back.

"Riku, stay away from her!" Riku shook off his older brother, fixing him with a glare in which is maturity, his age-old instinct as a chevalier, shone clearly.

"She is my queen, Kai. I will not stay away from her unless she asks me too. Nor will I stand by and let you kill my children." He spoke evenly, a dangerous power emanating from his slight, fourteen year old frame as he stepped away from Kai, closer to Adelphia.

He smiled at her softly, and her own expression softened in response, before he dropped to one knee in front of her.

"I didn't have the chance to greet you properly, as queen Adelphia." He offered as explanation, and a sudden beaming smile lit up her face.

"You don't have to do that! God knows I feel old enough as it is. Here, would you like to hold them?" She asked, the watching people realising with a start that Adelphia was equally as changeable as Kata had been, if not more so. Riku beamed, holding his arms out as Adelphia tenderly handed the cocoons to him.

His arms, clothed in soft, grey material, closed around his children, and awe-struck expression crossing his young face, before his eyes widened further at the small crackling sound that echoed around the space.

Adelphia's smile was soft, watching as the sticky webbing began to shift as the cocoons' cargo began to move inside, tiny, starfish hands reaching up towards the air. With a startling amount of reverence, Adelphia reached over to untangle the strands from their hands, picking it apart so that two tiny, baby faces were visible.

The babies blinked at the world, innocence glimmering within their eyes; two girls. One with grey eyes, the other with brown. The concealed blue and red, which they all knew were there, was a bare glint, shifting beneath the surface and hinting at unused power.

"Still going to try and kill them?" Nathan queried, and Saya started, head whipping around to face the man who had crept up behind her, still as perfectly flamboyantly dressed as ever with barely a curl out of place, his usual smirk on his face. She felt her shoulders fall.

"No. No, I'm not. We… we should take them home…" Saya smiled, a little brokenly, and Kai grinned.

"Sure we can. We can take them back to the Omoro, and we'll be a family again." Kai says, his joy at having his younger brother back shining through his words, untainted by any grief for Diva.

"Excellent, glad that's cleared up. Now, you guys should probably get going, seeing as I've rigged a bombing to take place in… how long would you say it was, Nathan?" Adelphia proclaimed cheerfully, cocking her head at Nathan and very obviously not allowing her eyes to stray to Diva's remains.

"About, say, six point five minutes?" Nathan answered seriously, as everyone stared.

"Um, what?" Kai repeated, and Adelphia grinned at him.

"Get going, boy. Riku, take care of your kids. Karman, Moses, Solomon, cover them. Nathan, with me. Let's do this thing." She smirked, as her chevaliers moved to escort everyone from the theatre. Saya glanced back, wide eyed and desperately trying to catch Adelphia's attention.

"Wait! Kat- Adelphia! Where are you going?" She yelled, and Adelphia's smile softened slightly, her gaze finally resting on her other sister's red, crystalline remains.

"Himitsu." Was all she said, before the Schiff hurried the broken remains of the Red Shield from the MET.

Bare minutes after they left, the entire theatre blew up in an explosion of yellow fire, hemmed in flickering orange and red tones, random pieces of debris falling as they gazed at the obliterated remains of the MET.

The babies quietly began to cry once more, nestled in their father's arms.

* * *

**'Nother shortie :) Next one coming soon (LIES I hear you say) but I'm actually serious. It's written. Hopefully I will be updating more regularly now I'm ahead a bit :)**

**Hope you all (if you're even still there) enjoyed, please let me know what you thought, and thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! XD**


	26. Chapter 25 : Flowers

**Chapter 25 - Flowers**

Saya half fell the last few centimetres to the deceptively soft-looking sand on the beach, letting out a little 'oof' even as she relaxed into her usual position; knees drawn up, forearms resting gently on them as she gazed out at her favourite view of the ocean, the evening breeze tousling her recently trimmed hair.

It had been a fortnight since the MET had blown up, and life had fallen back into normalcy with such a scary ease that Saya couldn't help but feel a little shell-shocked. More than once, she had wished she had someone to complain about it to, but everyone was so _happy_, so content to just embrace the normality of everyday life with a passion that to those who knew belied just how much they had all missed it.

Which was when Saya realised just how much she missed Adelphia.

Hence the sitting-on-the-beach-by-herself-staring-at-the-sunset session she was having.

It was on the journey back to Okinawa when Riku had realised that an explanation was needed for the fact that Adelphia had apparently remained behind in a building which had then been obliterated, when Saya started crying again and mourning the loss of her plural sister_s_.

_He suddenly started, as if he had just remembered something, and whirled around to face the extremely upset Saya._

"_She's not dead." He blurted, as everyone slowly turned to look at him, various bemusedly confused expressions on their faces. "Adelphia, I mean. We would feel it if she was." He hurried to clarify, encompassing all of Adelphia's chevaliers in his statement, who all looked startled for a moment._

"_Oh, that's why everyone's upset? The bitch isn't de-ow!" Karman broke off as Solomon calmly reached over and whacked the Schiff on the head. _

"_Adelphia, and therefore most likely Nathan are definitely both still alive. She clarified in her plan that she would need time to sort some things out." Solomon shrugged, eyeing the arm Hagi had around Saya's waist a little wistfully. _

But the confirmation in the form of a cryptic postcard featuring a gerbil sitting in some cheese that Adelphia, and Nathan, were both very much alive did not change the fact that Saya hadn't properly spoken to her friend in a very long time.

And what with returning to school, trying to explain to Kaori what had happened and 'where the bleeping _hell_' her two nieces had come from, trying to adjust to _Kai_ running the Omoro (which was a little weird, even if his attempts at cooking were hysterical), having Riku back, discovering that Julia was pregnant, adjusting to having the Schiff in their lives (they were all working at the Omoro, which was also hilarious to watch), getting used to the presence of Solomon, and then there was Hagi and Saya really didn't know _what_ to think about _that-_

And she just, really, really wanted her best friend back. And sister. Though that was also going to take some adjusting to. She let out a sigh.

"Oh my _god_. I leave you alone for two weeks, and fashion_ disaster_ occurs." Saya whipped around so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash, finding herself face to face with a very, _very_ familiar face.

"Adelphia!" She cried, in surprise, as Adelphia plopped down beside her.

"Heya. But, seriously, I thought we had agreed that we were never going to wear this school uniform again?" and Saya felt her lips pulling upwards in a laugh as she glanced down at it.

"It's our uniform, there's not a lot I can do-"

"Did you not get the hint when I burned your old one?" She demanded, and Saya abruptly stopped, tilting her head to one side.

"You… you're… Kata right now, aren't you?" The girl flashed a smirk at her.

"Yes. I am. Purposely though. I want to introduce you to someone." Kata replied, standing and dusting the sand off her jeans as Saya stared up at her.

"Who?" She wondered, before her thoughts, a little dazed at the sudden reappearance of her other not-dead sister, snapped back into focus. "But more importantly, we thought you were _dead_! How could you do that to us!" She cried, and Kata snorted, playfully shoving her rather overbearing friend back as Saya tackled her in a hug.

"You should have learned by now that I don't simply just die. I had to clear some serious shit up. You have no _idea_ what a mess you guys made." Kata sighed in mock exasperation, and Saya finally relaxed a little.

"Hmph. A phone call would have been nice." She muttered, slightly petulantly, and Kata grinned as the wind tousled her hair. Which was much shorter, Saya noticed abruptly; curling barely below her ears and just tickling the nape of her neck in smooth dark strands.

"I don't have one, and Nathan broke three payphones in frustration when I sent him out to do it, and then I realised I don't actually know any of your numbers so it seemed a little pointless." Kata shrugged, as Saya raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you were the information guru?"

"I am, but that's besides the point. If you really must know, I was grieving." Kata said pointedly, and Saya immediately felt guilty.

"Sorry." Kata sighed.

"It's fine. Now, are you ready to meet her?"

"Meet _who_?" Saya asked, and Kata's grin stretched wider.

"Someone really, _really_ terrifying." With that ominous statement, Kata skipped off, disappearing up the beach while Saya waited, perplexed, until she caught a glimpse of a pale pink skirt and it all clicked into place.

"… Himitsu?" She called softly, wary that she was wrong, but sure enough, a girl she knew like the back of her hand and yet a complete stranger at the same time peeked around the edge of the rock, mismatched eyes regarding her guardedly as she stepped towards her.

Saya drank in the sight of another side to her sister eagerly, taking in the somehow neater state of her hair, though how you could do anything with a style that short Saya had no idea. Her skin was the same pale, porcelain colour as 'Kata's, and yet somehow more delicate, more china-like. Her eyes were the same, and yet larger, more… innocent? Innocent was definitely not the right word, but it was something like that.

Her limbs were just as graceful, but more lady-like, less sharp-edged and dangerous than Kata always appeared. Her pink skirt, as pale as rose bushes and suddenly reminding Saya of a dress, a favourite she had worn almost constantly so long ago, flared around her legs, shifting slightly in the wind. The ribbon that edged along her white, ruffled top was also being blown about, gleaming in the light as she shifted in white-sandaled feet.

"It's nice to meet you, Saya. I've watched you a lot, you know." She spoke, and Saya nearly jumped out of her skin, because despite all of the differences, despite the obvious change, despite all of Adelphia's flippant comments about bipolar disorders and split, multi personalities, there was a part of Saya that still undeniably saw her as 'Kata', or 'Adelphia', not as 'Himitsu', an entirely separate person.

The soft, lilting chimes of Himitsu's voice were enough to send those thoughts flying out the window in a flash.

Because Himitsu was another person all together, a whole different person practically in her own right.

"You're Himitsu." The girl in front of her waved an elegant hand and giggled.

"Please, call me Himi. But yes, I'm Himi. I must say, I'm surprised Kata held me in check when she took you shopping. Please burn your wardrobe while I speak to the school board about the destructive nature of their uniform. My eyes hurt." She said, softening the blatant disapproval with a small smile, and Saya could see the excitement in her eyes

She was suddenly hit by the idea that Himi had wanted to meet Saya for a long time; properly meet her, and that Kata had wanted to introduce her. Feeling strangely comforted by this thought, she laughed at the fashion statement, understanding the terrifyingly pained expression on Kata's face whenever clothes were involved.

"I'm sorry. Did you… You made my dress?" Himi beamed.

"Of course! Did you like it? Well, I know you liked it, but still." Saya smiled.

"I loved it. I kept it, but…" She trailed off, while Himi looked scandalized.

"You _kept_ it! But, but, it's _ruined_! It's dirty, and probably torn, and oh my lord, why?" Himi cried, hands fluttering in distressed movements.

"Because it's beautiful, and you made it for me. I don't care that it's dirty."

"Well I do, you're getting rid of it. Or at least letting me clean it, and then it goes in a box, clear?" Himi threatened, and Saya all at once knew what Kata meant by 'really, _really_ scary'.

"Clear." She affirmed, slightly terrified of what Himi's reaction would be if she tried to argue, though in truth she liked the dress as it was.

"Good. Thank you, for letting me meet you. You'll probably never see me again, nor Kata, quite like this." Himi murmured softly, moving forwards to envelope Saya in a hug that momentarily confused her in its familiar strangeness.

"What? What do you mean?" She asked, pulling back to look her in the eyes - so different, and yet so well known.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll see us. We're still there, in Adelphia. But she needs to find herself, not us. We're part of her, we always will be, but we're not _her_. So you'll see bits of us. But I don't think you'll ever meet us properly again." Himi explained, her expression unbelievably soft, and Saya's own face relaxed in understanding.

"Then… goodbye, Himi. It was nice to meet you."

"You too." Himi smiled, pecked Saya on the cheek, and disappeared.

-n/s-

"I was serious, you know, about burning your wardrobe." Saya swore, something she didn't do very often, and shoved the front door of the Omoro open in her shock. This naturally caught the attention of Kai, Riku and David, who were all seated at the bar as Lewis cooked, and they all followed Saya's gaze to see Adelphia standing there, looking extremely unimpressed, with Nathan at her shoulder.

"Hello~" Nathan trilled, surging past her and kissing all of the men and Saya on both cheeks before they could really process it, and then gracefully seating himself at the bar next to Riku, who grinned up at him. Adelphia rolled her eyes.

"Relax guys, he's just like that. It's not personal, and you'd better get used to it because he's like that all the bloody time." She stepped in the door as Julia came down the stairs, curious, and Saya closed the door somewhat tiredly, though a smile was quirking her lips.

"Greetings, pregnant lady. Congrats on finally marrying David, by the way. Sorry I couldn't make it, but you probably didn't want me there anyways, so. Lewis, thank you for kicking Kai out of the kitchen, I could smell the char miles off." She stated flatly, sliding onto a stool next to Nathan as Kai's expression soured.

"Hello to you too, Adelphia." Lewis greeted her carefully, and was rewarded with a quick fire smile in response before Adelphia returned her attention to David.

"I'm still waiting on that apology and gratitude, preferably complete with worship and flowers, for the sheer amount of crap I had to clear up. If I ever have to see the inside of a court-room again, I might be sick." She complained, while Nathan frowned.

"Easy for you to say, you were in the audience! I was the one who had to actually stand there and argue!" He countered, and Adelphia's eyes flickered to him.

"I'm not sure if that counts as an audience, Nathan, and don't lie, you loved it. Mainly because you enjoy pissing off all of those uptight bastards by acting flamboyantly homosexual, a sentiment I entirely agree with by the way, but still." Nathan pouted.

"You really cannot blame me for fighting against homophobes."

"I don't, that's not the point."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Have you noticed we're freaking everyone out?" Adelphia smirked, as everyone started, blushing slightly, because they had been staring at the easy banter occurring between Nathan and Adelphia in shock.

"I hadn't, but now you mentioned it… Yes, we are indeed freaking everyone but Riku out." Nathan agreed, glancing around with a wicked smirk on his face. Adelphia threw a spoon at him. Nathan didn't bat an eyelid.

Riku burst out laughing at the expressions on everyone's faces.

"They, they just have this kind of abusive relationship," He spluttered through his mirth, while both Adelphia and Nathan turned to watch him try to explain. "She throws a lot of stuff at him, he complains loudly, she throws more stuff, they banter, they argue, and then she throws more stuff. It's a sign of affection, really." Riku said earnestly, still giggling slightly. Adelphia eyed Nathan at the explanation, before shrugging.

"True enough. Now, I want to see my nieces." At that, Saya beamed and both her and Riku tripped over themselves trying to lead a smiling Adelphia upstairs, babbling and talking over each other as they gushed.

Nathan watched his queen go, a fond expression on his face, before sliding along to sit next to David, leaning forwards so he could talk to Kai, Julia and Lewis as well.

"So, I'd like to have a few words, if you don't mind." He said sweetly, smiling coyly at them all and very much enjoying all of the nervous gulps that the expression elicited.

"About what?" David asked warily, his expression hardening slightly.

"About Adelphia, who else? And the little queens. I trust that you're going to protect them?" Kai nodded fiercely.

"Of course. All that's left of the Red Shield will protect Saya and the twins."

"So, the Red Shield will continue to function as an organisation?" Nathan clarified, and they were all suddenly struck by the realisation that Nathan was far from stupid. It wasn't exactly that they had actually thought that he was stupid, it was just the realisation that he was, in fact, extremely intelligent, and apparently very shrewd on top of that.

"Yes, it will." Julia answered him this time, and he nodded sagely, though when he spoke again his eyes seemed a little more dangerous somehow.

"_Solely_ dedicated to the protection of the Otonashi line? Including Adelphia? Seeing as Saya has given her permission to use the surname." Nathan asked, voice flippantly light. David debated with himself, exchanging glances with his fellow Red Shield members.

"Our primary goal will always be the protection of the Otonashi's, including Adelphia. But we do have other purposes." He spoke carefully, but Nathan snorted and lowered his eyes to his nails.

"Don't beat around the bush. That's obvious, you're human. What I want to know is exactly _what_ it is that you'll also be spending those vaults of funding upon?" Julia answered him once more, dropping into a seat and speaking with clinical precision.

"Research. There is too much we don't know about chiropterans, too much that we need to learn. And there are still so many secrets surrounding their past… and so many of those bestial creatures still live."

"No they don't. What do you think my queen was doing? She wasn't just weeping and arguing with the jury for two weeks, you know. I wouldn't say that _all_ of the chiropterans are dead, but the majority most definitely are." Everyone gaped at him as Nathan continued to study his cuticles with disdain.

"She… Adelphia, she hunted them down? All of them?" Lewis repeated, somewhere between awe-struck and afraid as he leant his forearms on the table top. Nathan grinned sardonically, finally looking up.

"She was made for it. She's very good at hunting." He offered no further explanation, but continued to watch them through slightly narrowed eyes until Julia spoke once more.

"We're uncertain as to what the future will hold, but the Red Shield will continue to exist. We will protect the twins, Saya, and Adelphia, as well as any of their chevaliers and the Schiff. We will continue to research chiropterans, and hunt down any that need to be eliminated." Julia summarised, and Nathan relaxed a little.

"We guessed as much. The research… how much _testing_ will go into that, Dr Julia?" Nathan teased, but his pale blue eyes were deadly serious. Julia balked.

"Um… we're not sure…."

"We'll be monitoring it, Julia. You know a little about the circumstances of my queen's birth. Rest assured that she will not be merciful when it comes to this sort of thing. She has, however granted you permission to ask both myself and herself questions, which we will answer as fully as we are able to. She did however ask me to make it very clear that she will not allow you to touch her in anyway, whether with spandex-gloved hands or needles." Nathan's lowered into a threat, and Julia swallowed, everyone remaining very still and abruptly reminded of just how dangerous Nathan was.

"I… I will remember that. And I appreciate her willingness to answer my questions." Julia answered bravely, trying not to tremble when Nathan suddenly smiled, breaking the mounting tension as the atmosphere relaxed.

"See that you do. Now, I have to go and greet my _adorable_ little nieces!" He cried, clapping his hands together and making for the stairs, leaving four much shaken people behind.

-n/s-

"Oh _wow_. Hagi. Are you babysitting?" Adelphia asked, tilting her head a little in fascination as she stepped into the nursery, Saya hot on her heels and Riku still tugging excitedly at her hand, when she caught sight of Hagi stoically standing by the wall at the foot of a single cot.

"Yes." Hagi answered, a slight softening in his expression betraying how glad he was to see her again, and she grinned at him.

"I am _so_ finding you a t-shirt for that." Hagi shifted uncomfortably under her suddenly mischievous expression, before Riku pulled her attention back again.

"Come on, Adelphia, I want you to see them!" He pleaded, and she laughingly let herself be pulled to the side of the cot, stilling suddenly when she caught sight of the two infants inside.

They lay curled up together, awake and playing with each other's fingers with newborn fascination. Their rompers were wrinkled, signalling that they had only recently woken, and their dark curls were adorably tangled. Adelphia breathed out in a soft exhalation of noise, her hand falling from Riku's as she stared.

"Their names?" She whispered, and Saya moved closer, answering her just as as softly.

"Hibiki for the red-eyed girl. Kanade for the other." Riku squirmed, trying to contain his excitement at something, and Adelphia tore her eyes away to look at him quizzically.

"Hibi and Kana!" He burst out, as Adelphia's brow furrowed. "Don't you see? Their nicknames, Hibi and Kana. Himi and Kata. See?" He beamed as her eyes widened, breath stopping in her throat.

"Oh…" she turned her eyes back to her nieces. "Hello, Hibi, Kana." She crooned softly, bending over the crib and reaching to gently stroke Hibi's cheek with the tip of her finger. "You're so beautiful…" She breathed softly, closing her eyes as both twins gurgled, Adelphia's presence registering with them as they turned towards her.

Adelphia swallowed hard as both girls reached for her hand, curling their chubby baby fists around her fingers and curiously cooing at this new object of interest. Kana tried to suck it, looking slightly puzzled but satisfied enough with her new plaything, as her twin occupied herself with bending Adelphia's knuckles, enraptured by the simple mechanism.

"Could… could you give me a minute?" Adelphia choked out, and both Riku quickly nodded, pulling both Saya and Hagi from the room. Neither of them protested, Hagi quietly closing the door behind them with a soft click, but they remained on the landing, listening.

It was silent other than soft, baby noises and the occasional murmur of Adelphia's voice, but they all heard it when she began to sing.

-n/s-

She cried. She wasn't going to lie about that. She cried at the sight of her nieces, so painfully _innocent_ and pure, but only a little. Only a few tears in too many lifetimes' worth of them.

Adelphia was good at keeping promises.

She wasn't sure when she had decided that, nor explicitly _why_ she had decided that, but she had, and so she was. Neither Kata nor Himi were particularly good at keeping promises. They worked to their own advantage, regardless of what they promised. They kept only two promises; to always love Saya and Diva.

They broke their promise to keep them both alive.

So Adelphia decided that from now on, she would be good at keeping promises, _all_ of her promises, not just her promises to her family. _All _of them. So when she remembered promising an anxious Riku, albeit offhandedly, that she would 'take care of it' in regards to the fall out of the confrontation at the MET, she did.

She took care of it.

It was exactly what she needed, even if for a solid week all she did was cry and kill things.

It made her feel a little better. A little more useful, and she came a little closer to why Saya was so stubborn about fighting. In the end, it wasn't really about killing Diva. It was about feeling needed, feeling as if despite all of the pain you had caused, the mess you had made, you could still help in some way.

That first blood-splattered, tear-stained week was hard.

The second week was better; she cried less, killed more, and spent more time in courtrooms and parlours arguing with politicians and government officials than she ever, ever wanted to do again. But that too, in its own way, was good for her.

It helped her sort things out, even if it was in the form of an argument, the cold logic she had always possessed shining through. Coupled with her sheer power, bipolar tendencies and unwavering resolve, she had pretty much terrified her way through the majority of the people of power in the world, including several presidents of several countries.

Looking back, she had probably scared China the most, because she had fooled them into thinking she couldn't speak the language and then revealed rather suddenly and with much glee that actually she could, thank you very much, speak Mandarin. Rather well.

Suffice to say, the people who had been angrily muttering about her under their breath for the past hours were sufficiently shame-faced and horrified to amuse her a little.

That was the first time she laughed.

But she held true to her word; even the word that she gave to the greedy men and woman, far too many of whom had far too much of an inkling about exactly which 'project' she was the fruits of, but she kept those promises too.

Asia, Europe and most of the UK (exempting some parts of Scotland because it was snowing and Adelphia felt that her promise to herself after Russia to _never again_ go near snow unless it was a life-or-death situation rather overruled her other promise) had been completely wiped of chiropterans, emergency numbers (to one of Nathan's cell phones) now given to all emergency line operators across the countries.

America was a little harder; the South she had cleared with so much ease it was almost laughable, the North was proving to be more difficult, but she liked the President, and he seemed to have a grudging respect for Adelphia even if he was simultaneously terrified of her, and they had come to an agreement. For the most part, the majority of the North of America was clear.

Australia had been unaffected, and she had swept her way through Africa and India in a rampage that first week which probably killed more humans as well as monsters than Adelphia really cared to think about.

She'd been grieving, it had been a little hard to see.

But she felt rather proud of herself, for keeping so many promises.

And she remembered this promise with agonising clarity.

"_Adelphia. Promise me. Promise that you'll look after them. That you'll sing that song for them, that you'll tell them…"_

And she had promised, more, she had _sworn_. And while there was no point in telling them, no point in trying to explain to infants, there still several things she could do.

If there was one thing Adelphia knew how to do after her time as Himi and Kata (besides rip monsters apart), it was how to be there for people. She knew, with a base-like instinct, how people wanted her there. She could just _tell_, and she had no idea why or how, but she could. She had known within minutes of first setting eyes upon Saya that she wanted a best friend, a sister, someone to confide in, someone who _understood_.

Hagi had wanted a little sister. Someone he could argue with without worrying about the consequences, someone who would make his queen happy.

Riku wanted comfort. He wanted someone to hold him, to stroke his hair and whisper '_it will be alright_' even if it wouldn't be. Someone to spoil him a little, to fill a bit of the whole his father had left in his life.

Kai wanted a comrade, more than anything. Someone to have his back, help him protect his loved ones. Arguing with him was just an added bonus, in Adelphia's opinion, and even Kai would realise, in retrospect once many years had finally managed to add a little wisdom to his head, that Adelphia had actually been containing the outbursts of his anger by letting him vent and shout at him.

David had wanted an enemy, a role that Adelphia had been only too happy to fulfil, and then he had wanted a tool, which Adelphia had also taken upon herself to do, in part, and soon David would realise that he thought of her like he thought of Kai and Riku and Saya; with fear, and with a little affection and worry too.

The Schiff wanted a saviour. Someone to take control, tell them '_here, I'm going to help, now shut up and stop _complaining_ for fuck's sake_'. Adelphia also thought they needed a slap, and she had obliged with that as well, but she had saved them, told them (rather bluntly, even for her) that actually, life was only shit if you let it be.

Solomon wanted family; someone who could love him back in the same way he loved them; like family. He wanted someone to protect, someone he knew he could count on, and yet at the same time he wanted someone to serve. One of the many reasons Solomon and Saya could never have worked was Solomon's need to serve people, to put them on a pedestal and lavish his care at their feet, while Saya wanted an equal as her partner. But Adelphia was happy on a pedestal, she could be a hero-type figure for Solomon to admire and protect simultaneously.

Julia wanted a test-subject, someone to observe, someone with the answers and yet at the same time, the woman wanted to find the answers for herself. She wanted _information_ that she could take and use and grapple with, and while Adelphia was never going to let anyone with a needle or any other medically inclined instrument of torture near her, she was willing to answer questions, to sate at least a little the need Julia had to just _know_.

Lewis wanted a friend; a little friend like Kai or Monique he could tease and impress and dote on. Adelphia hadn't had time before to fulfil that, but she most certainly could now; there had always been a sense of comradeship purely because they seemed to be the only ones capable of having a sense of humour no matter the situation.

Mao wanted a friend; a female friend to shop and giggle and laugh with, and Adelphia was more than willing to add herself to that list along with Saya, _especially_ if shopping was involved. (Mao's odd leather jacket suit thing was also going to be burned along with Saya's uniform, she had decided).

Okamura wanted a story, and Adelphia knew exactly where to send him for those stories. She had already sent him at least fourteen prompts with leads and titbits from all around the world, and smiled a little secret smile when Mao insisted on coming with him. She liked them together, they fit in a very odd way. Kai wasn't good for Kai merely in that his insults were pathetic and he took everything too much to heart. Mao needed someone to argue with; and Okamura fit that role perfectly even as Mao was perfect for him in that firstly, she made him stop smoking and secondly that she got him out of bed in the mornings.

Adelphia didn't actually give two flying fucks, even as Himi, about what Amshel had wanted, but she knew nether the less. He was similar to Julia and Solomon; a test subject to experiment upon and a queen to lavish and worship. She hadn't given him those things; something he had understood when she executed him.

Karl; someone to understand, someone to calm the raging fires inside him. The only answer to that, for Karl, was death, which Adelphia had given to him.

James; someone he could love and protect even while they protected him. Diva had given him that, and Adelphia felt no need to interfere, instead giving him someone to rile and rage at once Karl was gone.

Joel wanted children, that fact was painfully obvious to Adelphia. He wanted a family, and Saya, Riku, Kai and David became the closest he could get to it; his children and his brother, and Adelphia had filled herself in as more of an aunt type figure; overbearing, very irritating, spouting bounteous advice and pissing everybody off and yet at the same time inspiring affection.

Adelphia knew. With anyone, anywhere, it only took a few minutes of listening to them, watching them, talking to them, and Adelphia knew exactly how to fit themselves into their lives, what they needed even if it was an enemy.

The only person she hadn't been able to figure out was Nathan. He fitted _himself_ into _her_ life, rather than the other way around that she was so used to, and yet even hundreds of years later she still couldn't figure out what he wanted from her. When she had asked, on a surprisingly gently occasion she blamed entirely on her her lack of sleep, he had simply smiled, stroked her nightmare-fevered brow and told her '_nothing_', soothing her back to sleep.

But that wasn't the case with the twins. She could tell what they needed, what they wanted, how she could help them, look after them, be there for them.

They wanted an older sister, a mentor, a best friend. Someone to pick them up when they fell down, to be on their side, to teach them things they didn't really need to know but were fun and useful anyway, to give them advice, explain things, and just…_ be there_.

It was the simplest connection to people that Adelphia had ever seen, the least complex reason for her being there, and that, more than anything else, was what made her cry, already promising them in her heart that she would _be there_ in whatever way they needed her to be, no matter how that might change.

"_Your little hands wrapped around my fingers_

_And it's so quiet in the world tonight,_

_Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming_

_So I tuck you in, turn on your favourite night light,_"

"_To you, everything is funny_

_You've got nothing to regret_

_I'd give all I have, honey_

_If you could stay like that,_"

_Oh, darlings, don't you ever grow up_

_Don't you ever grow up_

_Just stay this little,_

_Oh, darlings don't you ever grow up_

_Don't you ever grow up_

_It could stay this simple,_

_I won't let anybody hurt you_

_Won't let anyone break your heart_

_No, no one will desert you_

_Just try to never grow up_

_Never grow up._"

-n/s-

_Three weeks later_

"That is one of the most revolting things I've ever seen." Adelphia muttered, staring at the tube delivering blood to Saya with a horrified expression. It wasn't like she hadn't seen it before, but it still creeped her out. Saya chuckled a little at her sister; sitting perched on the bed opposite Saya's while she lay and had her blood transfusion.

The twins were gurgling quietly in their cot on the far side of the room, their smaller blood transfusions already finished, and sunlight was streaming through the windows, catching the nostalgic look on Saya's face.

Coupled with the scent Adelphia could smell coiling off her friend, it was a sure sign, but she didn't say anything. Saya probably already knew. The awkward sound of Julia clearing her throat caught both girls' attention, their eyes snapping up to the second blood bag and tubing in Julia's uncertain hands; three red, one blue.

"Um… Adelphia… do you want… to…uh." Adelphia raised an eyebrow.

"Do I want to have a blood transfusion?" She clarified, and nervously Julia took the plunge, unable to gauge Adelphia's reaction to this from her neutral expression.

"Um. Yes. Do you? You do… need them, right?" Adelphia rolled her eyes, standing and approaching the doctor.

"Honey, I need more blood than a chevalier, now give me the bag and put the tubing away, the sight of it is giving me shivers." Both Julia and Saya stared at her, Julia with a little more shock, before Adelphia lifted the bag out of her hands and returned to the bed, tearing it open with her teeth and ignoring Julia's penetrating stare and Saya's uncomfortable shifting.

She drained it with a practised ease, which, she noted, seemed to make Julia's eyes almost bug out from her head.

"Please tell me you have more than one." She quipped, but Julia's face closed and she merely handed another two bags to her. Surprised, Adelphia looked up, catching the curious glint in the doctor's eyes.

"Nathan." Her chevalier is in the room, catching the bag she chucked at him as she drained the other one, also with practised ease, before any of them had time to blink.

"Oh, you're making me carry your snacks now?" Nathan complained petulantly, as Adelphia rolled her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's for you." Nathan held a hand to his heart, looking touched and really getting into his performance until he had to duck to avoid the pillow she proceeded to also throw at him. He knows from experience that a pillow coming from his queen can most definitely _hurt_, even if it's made of feathers. "Besides, I don't need you to carry my snacks," Adelphia continued, with a wicked smile as Julia eyed her. "You _are_ my snack." Nathan pouted, but drained his own blood bag compliantly, with far more grace and less unrestrained hunger than Adelphia had.

Saya coughed discreetly, eliciting yet another eye-roll from her sister, as Julia seemed to shake herself and began to remove Saya's finished blood transfusion equipment away, bustling busily in a way that only professionals burdened with lots of paperwork seemed to be able to properly pull off.

"What? He is." Adelphia muttered petulantly, relenting with a sigh and plopping down on the bed. Saya stood to leave, but Adelphia didn't follow, flapping her hand at her sister in a dismissing motion. "Go on ahead, I'll catch you up. Nathan and I just want to talk to Julia here. Don't worry."

Saya, of course, began to worry, but complied nether the less, making her way out of the hospital room with a parting wary look at Adelphia, whose mismatched eyes were fixed on Julia.

-n/s-

"You wanted to speak to me?" Julia began, finally mustering the courage to turn away from her desk and address the girl and her chevalier in front of her. Adelphia's answering smile did not do much to reassure her.

"Indeed. I presume that Nathan passed on my message concerning your… research?" Adelphia stated, crossing her legs and looking at Julia curiously in an almost delicately sinister manner, which made Julia wonder if Saya had ever seen this particular side to the queen.

"He did." She affirmed cautiously, still unsure as to where Adelphia was going with this. The girl in question nodded, appearing satisfied.

"Then I also assume he told you of my agreement to answer your questions." When Julia nodded, Adelphia stood, brushing off her floral print skirt with a satisfied air.

"I stand by what I said. But not," She met Julia's gaze properly for the first time since entering the hospital room, eyes boring into Julia's in a way that made the pregnant woman shiver but left her unable to tear her eyes away. "While Saya is awake. She has a week, maybe two at best, before she falls asleep. Then, and only then, will I sit through your incessant badgering. Are we clear?" Julia nodded nervously, deciding to ask Adelphia's reasons for her decision at a later time.

"Very clear." She nodded frantically, and with another threatening and yet simultaneously cheerful smile, Adelphia left, Nathan in tow.

-n/s-

"Saya, you idiot." Five days after her discussion with Julia at the hospital, Kai had reopened the Omoro officially with a party, to which all of their friends were invited. Saya had been helping cheerfully, greeting old acquaintances and serving food, outwardly happy and outgoing.

Only Adelphia, Hagi and possibly Nathan (though as he was discussing the merits of maxi-dresses with Mao, his attention was less than focused) noticed her stumbling step, her drooping eyes, and only Adelphia and Hagi followed when the red eyed queen slipped out the door.

Hagi looked up at Adelphia's words, face as expressionless as ever, and moments later Saya's gaze found her too, slowed by a bone deep, heavy weariness.

"Adelphia…"

"You shouldn't have pushed yourself. You might've gotten another day out of it then. Never mind… though I'll have to give this to you now." Adelphia delved into her short pocket, pulling something from it as she approached her fast fading friend.

"I don't know if you want it, but… here." Adelphia unfolded her hand, allowing both Saya and Hagi to see what lay nestled in her palm.

Saya's breath caught, eyes fluttering as they struggled against her drowsiness to convey Saya's surprise.

"Is that…" She breathed, and Adelphia smiled a little brokenly.

"Yes." She replied, equally softly, and she tugged her shirt down a little to reveal a similar object hanging around her neck.

It was a necklace; a thin, silver chain which coiled elegantly around three exquisite roses. These roses were made from a familiar, gleaming red stone, polished to a dull shine and carved with the utmost precision so that you almost believed that they were alive, growing on silver stems.

"It's the first thing… that I've made as me. I made them for Hibi and Kana too, if they want them… She may not have been the ideal sister, nor the ideal person, but… she loved them, she loved me, and she loved you as well, Saya, in her own way. And I think, deep down, you love her as well." Saya met Adelphia's gaze, tears gathering in her eyes before she nodded; just a small jerk of her head, but unmistakable as a gesture of confirmation.

Reverently, Adelphia reached forwards and fastened the necklace around Saya's neck, where it settled comfortably just shy of her collar bone.

Saya's vision grew hazy after that; small flashes of Adelphia fading into the background, of Kai coming out, of words being passed above her head between Kai and Hagi.

The next she knew, she was back at the grave; back at the place where it had all started, in Hagi's arms once more, with all of the Schiff, Nathan, Riku, Solomon and Adelphia standing clustered around the space, watching, as a warm breeze flitted through the area, tousling their hair.

Only Adelphia seemed relaxed; contrasting with the almost worshipful air she was perched on top of the grave, guitar in lap, one knee folded beneath her and her hands carefully picking out unconscious chords as she strummed. Her necklace gleamed in the moonlight, still bared to the world.

And then she began to sing softly, the errant chords coming together to create music as Nathan chimed in once more, his voice the sweetest Saya had ever heard it. While she sang, Saya said goodbye, and thank you.

"_And there you stand, opened heart, opened doors,_

_Full of life with the world, that's wanting more._

_But I can see when that light starts to fade,_

_The day is done, and your smile has gone away._"

"_Let me raise you up._

_Let me be your love._"

"_May I hold you?_

_As you fall to sleep,_

_When the world is closing in_

_And you can't breathe,_

_May I love you?_

_May I be your shield?_

_When no one can be found_

_May I lay you down?_"

"_All I want is to keep you safe, from the cold,_

_To give you all that your heart, needs the most._"

"_Let me raise you up,_

_Let me be your love._"

"_May I hold you (hold you)  
as you fall to sleep.  
When the world is closing in  
and you can't breathe.  
May I love you? (Love you)  
May I be your shield?  
When no one can be found,  
May I lay you down?_"

"_All that's made me (made me)  
Is all worth trading (worth trading)  
just to have one moment with you.  
So I will let go (will let go)  
all that I know (that I know)  
knowing that you're here with me._"

"_For your love is changing me…_"

"_May I hold you  
as you fall to sleep?  
When the world is closing in  
and you can't breathe,  
May I love you?  
May I be your shield?  
When no one can be found__  
May I lay you down?_"

She said goodbye to her brother, tears in her eyes at the thought of missing thirty years of his life. She mentally sent wishes to her nieces, to all of her friends. She bowed to the Schiff, to Solomon, to Nathan, she hugged Riku.

And she hugged Hagi, and Hagi finally said the words he had been waiting hundreds of years to say, as Adelphia's music filled the air, and Saya managed to return them with the last of her strength before she fell asleep.

"I love you."

"And I love you."

Adelphia snorted softly.

"Like that wasn't obvious from the start."

* * *

**Woohoo, long chapters again! XD Look, look, only one week after the last one! *happy dance* **

**Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought; Adelphia's reactions? How she dealt with her grief for Diva? Her reaction to the twins? That awesome coincidence with their nicknames? Please review! :D**


	27. Chapter 26 : Passage Through Time

**Chapter 26 - Passage Through Time**

"Damn girl, that's a lot of coffee." Julia spluttered said coffee (admittedly it _was_ her seventh cup) all over her paper work, and then spent a few flustered moments trying desperately to save her files.

Giving up with a sigh, Julia glanced up to find Adelphia's amused face smirking down at her, an expression rather reminiscent of Kata.

"Adelphia? What are you doing here?" Adelphia rolled her eyes, cleared one of Julia's filing cabinets of papers and perched herself on top of it, cross legged, while Julia eyed the mess of work on the floor with a resigned eye.

"Well, Saya's asleep. So I figured it wouldn't be too long before you came looking for answers." Julia gazed at her for a few moments, a calculating frown on her face.

"So you decided to turn up and get it over and done with?" Adelphia grinned a little, the expression for some reason quite soft, if marred by a darker, unnameable edge.

"This isn't something I want to dwell on, Dr Silverstein." Adelphia replied in a murmur, ignoring Julia's startled jump when she noticed Nathan in the shadows, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, as he turned his head and fixed her with a dark stare. She shivered, glancing back to Adelphia as the soft evening light suddenly seemed a lot colder.

When Julia reached for her phone in a hesitant movement, Adelphia's lips curved, but she wasn't smiling. Instilled with a sense of sudden rash bravery, Julia dialled the Omoro, while Adelphia simply watched, her face impassive.

Her expression didn't change much when Kai, David, Lewis, Solomon, Hagi and all three of the Schiff turned up, gazing at them shrewdly as they entered the room and hesitantly placed themselves around it, David approaching Julia with a concerned glance at Adelphia.

"What is it?"

"Adelphia agreed to answer my questions, I thought you all might want to hear." Julia explained, speaking to David but her eyes fixed warily on Adelphia, whose body language was relaxed, but unnaturally still in a way that unnerved them all.

"Silly child. Don't be frightened, I'm not going to hurt you." Adelphia murmured, something in her eyes shifting suddenly, her voice carrying a timbre that very abruptly reminded them all of her great age. The weight of all the years they were now remembering she must have seen seemed to be settling themselves around her. "They can listen. I know they would have found out eventually anyway. I have only one condition." They all turned to look at her as her mismatched eyes brightened just beyond the realm of natural light.

"You must not say a word of this to Saya, or Hibiki, or Kanade. Ever." The words hung in the air, weighted with unspoken threats.

"Why?" Solomon voiced what everyone had begun to wonder; his voice soft and unassuming. Adelphia's eyes shifted back to normal as she looked around at them.

"Reasons upon reasons. There are things I do not want my sister knowing, not yet. Things that when they do hear of them, must come from my mouth, when I feel that they are ready, and when I feel I am ready. There is much difference between telling this story to acquaintances, who judge you daily no matter what, and telling it to your family." The difference in her speech patterns, in her manner and words, did not escape any of them, but they didn't comment on it.

"Okay." Lewis shrugged, his face amicable. "I won't tell." One by one, the rest of them agreed to Adelphia's request; last of all Kai, whose reluctance was obvious, but he agreed as well.

"So, where do you want to start?" Adelphia asked, a small smirk playing across her lips as she met Julia's gaze. Her message was clear;_ you are in charge of this_. Julia coughed nervously, clearing her throat before taking a breath, grabbing a notepad and pen.

"You said that you were an artificial chiropteran, created from the DNA of Saya and Diva's mother and aunt, correct?"

"Correct." Her voice was soft, but still carrying that ancient tone.

"How… When did that happen?" Julia debated for a second, before settling on a simpler question. Adelphia eyed her for a moment.

"Well… I was created in 1863, in a lab in Russia…"

* * *

_Russia, 1863_

_The small bundle of cells shifted, the light playing off their translucent surfaces and giving the whole tube an eerie glowing colour._

"_This one is it, then?" The man was gazing at the test tube, his face hard and unreadable as he watched the cells. Another man, more timid in his demeanour and clothed in a white laboratory coat that nearly dwarfed his wiry frame, nodded and pushed his glasses up his nose with sweaty fingers, the other hand gripping a clipboard._

"_Yes. This was the only successfully embryo. The rest perished." The man didn't react to the news, his eyes still raking greedily over the test tube._

"_How many did we try this time?"_

"_Seventy. Over three-hundred have failed thus far." The scientist answered, and the other man swore quietly at the numbers._

"_Then what is different about this one? Why is this one so… _determined_ to live…?" He wondered, but the scientist remained silent until he turned and looked at him questioningly._

"_Uh, we don't know. According to our charts, there is nothing different in its DNA, or any of the other factors."_

"_I see. Then it is… perhaps a will to live, that the others were lacking." _

"_Perhaps, sir." The man splayed his hand across the glass, staring intensely at the life behind the glass. As if aware of his scrutiny, the movement of the cells dividing and growing seemed to accelerate, as if the barely-formed body was squirming under his gaze._

"_Keep me updated on its progress. I want to hear every single thing, every change in numbers, every last detail, you understand?" When the scientist nodded his agreement frantically, the man smiled a little, removing his hand from the glass and leaving a dark, smudged handprint behind. "Continue with the other experiments also, but make this your priority. I want this to succeed this time, Jones." Dr Jones stammered, reassuring and agreeing in equal measures until the man left the room, the steel doors sliding shut behind him._

_His mouth stretched into a grin as he strode down the corridors, his dark grey slacks rustling with his movement, before he raised a hand to his ear._

"_Inform the President that Project ExeT23 has been successful." There was a crackle of static that echoed slightly around the empty, narrow stone hallway._

"_Affirmative. Transitioning into Project ARb25, stages 1-3."_

* * *

Adelphia paused when Julia dropped her pen with a clatter, her eyes widening.

"Project ExeT23? !" She blurted, and Adelphia tilted her head, appraising the doctor curiously.

"I did wonder if you'd heard of it. It's bandied about quite a bit in the upper levels of chiropteran research, in the US especially, though very few people actually know what it is."

"You've heard of it?" David asked, and Julia nodded, her gaze un-focusing slightly in that way it always did when her mind was focused and whirring.

"Yes. I came across it when I was working with Amshel… Argeno mentioned it to me; Experimental Trial 23."

"I've heard of it also... though I, too, never knew what it entailed exactly." Solomon joined the conversation, his expression equally thoughtful.

"So what is it?" Kai asked, turning to look at Adelphia once more, whose expression had turned slightly disgusted.

"How ridiculous. I should have guessed Amshel would have liked to drop it into conversation… and doubtless had people looking for information on it while he did, but I know for a fact he never got_ near_ those files. He didn't know what it was either, ignorant bastard." She muttered, before shaking herself a little.

"Project ExeT23 was a process implemented by the US government, and backed by most of the political powers in the world, to deal with the threat of the chiropterans. There were of course many ways of killing chiropterans, but often they were impractical and expensive, and caused unacceptable levels of collateral damage in most cases, so they looked for another weapon. That was how researchers stumbled across the matter of blood killing opposites. They tried inserting blood into bullets and weapons, but to no avail. As I'm sure you know, it has to be fresh. So they began to look elsewhere; into the idea of living weapons.

"They captured a queen." All of the assembled listeners stiffened at that, before Lewis voiced the question; unusually sombre.

"How?"

"One of her chevaliers betrayed her." Nathan said softly; causing them all to jump; most of them having forgotten that he was there at all. Adelphia scrutinised him through narrowed eyes, but didn't comment; returning back to her own story with a shrug.

"Well, they captured a queen. Saya and Diva's aunt, Ariella."

"You know their names?" Solomon asked, and Adelphia's eyes dropped, Nathan's expression closing off.

"Yes. Adeline and Ariella. Theirs is a story I am less familiar with… and it is not one that should be told to those who are not family."

"That story has not seen the light of day for… so many years…" Nathan murmured, his gaze settling on his queen in such a way that they knew he was speaking to her and her alone. "Perhaps, soon…"

"Soon." She agreed, softly, meeting his gaze briefly before looking back to the rest of them.

"They captured Ariella, but they found that this meant they could only kill half of the chiropterans populating the earth… and even if they could use her to kill Adeline, they couldn't use her to kill the chiropterans she herself had created."

"Wait, how on earth could they make her do that?" Kai interrupted, and Adelphia's expression immediately hardened.

"There are ways of getting people to… cooperate, no matter their strengths." She muttered, the almost fragile nature of her voice warning them away from the topic for now.

"They devised a weapon; a chiropteran pureblood, artificially created and suited to their needs, with the ability to kill both chiropteran bloodlines; red and blue. If red killed blue, and blue killed red, then what they needed was purple." Adelphia explained, ignoring the frowns she received for her analogy of colours.

"How does that work…?" Julia muttered, eyes glazed again as she thought through the process. Adelphia raised an eyebrow.

"The science behind that is more complicated and time consuming than I can be bothered to deal with right now, so if you don't mind." At a nod from Julia, Adelphia continued.

"They began to search out the other queen, determined to create this weapon, and eventually they found Adeline's mummified form, in the Zoo, in France. They took only a small sample from her, which is most likely why Joel never noticed the theft. But from that they could extract the DNA, and that was all they needed."

"So Project ExeT23 was the final stages of this plan; the forced creation of these mutant embryos of mixed DNA." They all started at the bitterness in Adelphia's voice when she said this, her voice spitting out the words as if they physically pained her. "Only one survived, and so the Project moved into its next stage; ARb25; or as they used to call it in the labs, '_Arbalest_'.

* * *

_Russia, 1868_

_The same man; aged slightly by five years but otherwise exactly the same; right down to his over-polished shoes and well-cut suit, stood in the same place that he stood when he last visited in person, his hands clasped behind his back. _

_This time however, the chamber he stood in was lighter, filled with more activity; more panels of glowing lights, the technology slightly more advanced, more men in white coats bustling around the room, but the man at his shoulder, clutching his clipboard, was the same; his name tag reading '_Dr Jones_'._

"_Isn't it magnificent?" He asked. Another thing that had changed; the success of his project had instilled in Dr Jones a quiet confidence that he had been previously lacking, but the man didn't care; his gaze was once more fixed upon the slightly luminescent tube in front of him. _

"_It is." He reached up a hand one more, placing it reverently on the glass as he mimicked his actions from so many years ago; his eyes once more riveted by the object contained in the test tube._

_Rather than a bundle of barely formed cells, a much more recognisable creature floated in the liquid; small, but undeniably humanoid; pale limbs, delicate features, an undeveloped, child's body mostly concealed by long, thick locks of dark hair which were wafting slightly from tiny movement caused by its breathing._

_For the creature was undeniably not dead; contained as it was in liquid, pale and lifeless as it appeared, it breathed, it… lived, for want of a better word. Its eyes moved behind its closed lids, its chest expanded with the movement of its lungs, its fingers twitched with phantom movements caused by shreds of dreams._

_Covering the lower half of its fine-boned face was a plastic mask, with a long tube twisting up through the liquid like an unnatural mimicry of an umbilical cord. It was feeding air along it and to the creature's mouth; pale, nearly colourless lips were slightly parted as the stale air was drawn in and then expelled; a few bubbles escaping around the edge of the mask._

"_How long until it can be awoken?" He asked, and Dr Jones pushed his glasses up his nose, glancing at his clipboard to reaffirm the information he had already memorised._

"_About ten to twelve weeks. We've been speeding up its growth so it can be functional as soon as possible, but there will be a period where it has to adjust to a more normal aging rate. Once it reaches adolescence, it should stop aging like it's originals." Dr Jones explained, and the man made a thoughtful noise._

"_Physically, what is its human age?"_

"_Around eight or nine years." With a brisk nod, the man turned on his heel and strode from the room, leaving as abruptly as he had arrived with a parting; "Notify me when you wake it up. I want to be here."_

* * *

"That was when I found her." Nathan's soft voice made everyone but Adelphia jump, as per usual. Kai blinked, a frown crossing his face, before Karman spoke.

"Wait, the… _creature_ in the test tube, that was you! ?" He blurted, turning to look at Adelphia; whose gaze was on her knees, expression distant.

"Yes, that was me. But I was unaware of all of these happenings… the next part of this story is Nathan's." She murmured, her face closing off further as Nathan stepped forwards, his arm curling around his queen's side and for once not being pushed away, although she didn't exactly welcome it either.

"I had heard of Project ExeT23; I was aware of all forms of chiropteran research going on at the time, but I didn't pay particularly close attention to it until it transgressed into ARb25. It took several years to dig into that tangle of information properly; but I did it. When I found the location of the labs, I travelled there…"

* * *

_Russia, 1868_

_He watched from the corner. The chamber was so cloaked in shadow that it was ridiculously easy for one of Nathan's abilities to hide himself in the darkness; and so he observed as the flow of people lessened, as the weak lights started to flicker out; circuits interrupted by a flick of a switch, until the room was empty._

_The only light left was that faint, unnatural green glow from the test tube, a few winking lights around the base of the tube and the closest monitors belaying the mere dormant state of the machinery. The only movement was that faint expansion and contraction of pale skin, as it was stretched taut and then relaxed over small, rounded ribs, and that of Nathan himself as he crept forwards, his simple cloth boots making no noise on the cement floor._

_He approached the tube warily, his eyes raking across the form that hung suspended in the liquid; a small child, maybe nine years old, with delicate, achingly familiar features that just balanced that odd line between Asian and European. Eurasian, in a way he hadn't seen for far too many years. Its eyes were shut; black lines of dark, feathered lashes rimming the bottom of its slightly creased eyelids. Its skin was pale; but not the porcelain he imagined it could be. This child had never seen the light of day, and the sallow tone of its cheeks, the watery, limpid, wet appearance of its skin belied that fact._

_Its hair was raven black, it's dark colour not reduced in the slightest by the green tint of the liquid it was floating in spirals in; spread around the child's figure in mysteriously random eddies that were somehow as beautiful as they were wrong._

_For Nathan had seen chiropteran purebloods. _

_He had seen them grow from cocooned infants to proud, young women, to gnarled, old beasts; still majestic in their own way. He had seen them injured, tired, insane, lust-driven, hungry. He had seen them happy in love, had seen them angry and betrayed, had seen them sad and alone; unreachable. _

_He had seen them dead._

_But he had never seen one like this; never one whose presence, even when dormant, screamed '__**wrong**__' like fire along his nerve endings, never one that appeared so _dead_ and yet was still living. _

_He reached out a hand, touching it to the glass just left of where the man had placed his own upon each of his visits._

_But unlike when the man had touched the test tube, Nathan's touch sparked a reaction in the creature inside the tank._

_A shiver ran through its frame; barely noticeable, and yet it changed its entire demeanour._

_All at once, it was very obvious that this creature _lived_. You didn't need to look for the flashing monitors, for the movement of its lungs. It was obvious in it's very being; thrumming with a sense of vitality. Nathan froze, but didn't move, cautiously watching the creature as more shivers seemed to run up its spine._

_And then it opened its eyes._

_They were unfocused, pupils dilated and skin instantly contracting around them when the liquid rushed in, but they were open. Nathan drew in a shocked breath as time slowed around them; the creature hanging in the water, still thrumming with that sense of life, eyes open, tube still twisting up through the liquid above its head, while Nathan stood frozen, his fingertips touched to the glass._

_Nathan breathed out slowly, his touch on the glass becoming more firm as the creature blinked, eyes moving around the water before trying to focus on Nathan's form; blurred to it by liquid. It stared, eyes glowing; one red and one blue, and Nathan thought he might have a little more idea as to what exactly they had done._

_He glanced down at the files, stacked in a haphazardly neat way on the desktop, eyes roving over the neat print; names and figures and numbers. All chemicals and statistics. _

'It has been growing steadily'

'Blood sugar levels rose at 16:04, but it was not unduly affected'

'Its oxygen supply was increased'

'It it it it it it it it it'

_Everywhere, 'it' this, 'it' that, levels and numbers; all clinical and unfeeling._

_Nathan looked back up to the child, meeting its gaze._

"_You're not an 'it'. You're a 'she', aren't you…" He murmured. She blinked at him. A footstep sounded in the hall outside._

_When Dr Jones entered the lab, it was empty. Her eyes were shut._

* * *

"You never told me that." Adelphia stared up at Nathan, her mismatched eyes wide and mouth parted. He looked down at her, one corner of his mouth tilted upwards.

"Never told you what?" He asked, in the manner of someone who knows exactly what the answer to their question is, "I've told you how I first found you about two months before you were first awoken, haven't I?" Her eyes narrowed, and she shoved at him in exasperation, which quickly grew to irritated defeat when he refused to budge, his arm tightening around her waist.

"_Yes_, but you never told me that I opened my eyes and _looked_ at you! I thought I was crazy when I remembered that!" Nathan gasped; a real gasp, for once quite without his usual flamboyancy and theatrics.

"You… you remember that?" He asked softly, and her expression settled.

"Yes." She replied, an odd frown crossing her face, before Lewis pointedly cleared his throat, grinning broadly, and Moses interrupted.

"What happened next?" Adelphia blinked at them owlishly, as if suddenly remembering that they were there, before shaking herself a little and continuing.

"Well, my memory actually properly starts here, when I was first awoken… Before that, all I really remember is that I was alone. All alone. Then- I guess it was you," She glanced at her chevalier. "Came to visit me. I just remember suddenly feeling someone… like me. I realised that I wasn't alone. The first few times I was 'awoken' forcefully I don't remember very clearly… people in white coats, needles, plugs… blue eyes and curly hair," She shot a glance at Nathan, who was looking absurdly pleased with himself, "It's all very hazy…"

* * *

_Russia, 1869_

_The monitors beeped steadily, at odds with the frantic anticipation of the people surrounding the stainless steel table. The creature lay upon it, long dark hair still tangled around its frame, clothed in a thin, white hospital gown. _

_The man watched, breathless, as a flicker of _something_ flashed across its face._

_It was the fourth time the creature had been awoken; but the first time they were planning upon leaving it awake for more than a few temporary, experimental minutes. _

_The man stood behind the scientists, much as he wanted to be closer he did not possess the skill to take part in the procedure. It was remarkably similar to trying to persuade a coma-patient to wake up, only the coma was carefully controlled. Regardless, it would take a while before it was awake and functioning._

_But five minutes later, it was blinking up at the ceiling, eyes unmoving, slow to respond to the light but bright and awake and- breathtaking. The very sum, the _proof_, of all he had worked for, all he had planned for; his achievement. The man pushed past the scientists, confident that it was safe to do so now, and stared down at it. _

_One red eye and one blue eye stared back at him, clear and blank; as yet un-tempered by any knowledge or emotion. Evidence of what he had managed to achieve._

"_Do you understand me?" He asked it, as it was levered into a sitting position, not roughly but efficiently; no care or gentleness in those latex covered hands. Silently, it stared at him, before very slowly, almost experimentally, it nodded its head._

_Perhaps this reaction should have worried him, coming from a creature supposedly designed as a weapon, but it was early days yet. It was expected; there was time for it to learn, and learn it would._

_With a wide grin that was everything but happy, the man reached out and stroked a hand down its face, in much the same way he had touched the glass of its test tube so many times previously._

"_Good. It is ready. My... Arbalest."_

* * *

Adelphia's flow of words stopped, and an almost ringing silence hung over the assembled group. They had known from her revelations at the MET that Adelphia was artificial, in much the same way as Moses and the rest of the Schiff were, but none of them had fully processed what that really _meant_.

The only one who could have come close was perhaps Kai, having empathised with Irene's story so long ago, but even he hadn't connected that feeling with Adelphia. She seemed so strong, so in control, so… _untouchable_ that the notion of her the weakness she was displaying in flickers now was foreign to all of them except Nathan.

"I may have to leave the room, little princess, or I might kill someone while you tell the next part." Nathan commented suddenly, although this time nobody jumped. Adelphia's mismatched eyes slid over to his, a small almost-smirk quirking her lips.

"You've already had your 'revenge', Nathan. You tore that man limb from limb, and the scientists too, and everyone who ever had a hand in my birth and… upbringing." Nathan growled, for once looking quite out of control. Like Adelphia, even upside down in the wrecked mess of a trailer he had always retained a cool composure, at least in front of them. To see him without it, to see _both_ of them so _human_ was jarring. Jarring because while Adelphia had shown more human vulnerability in her request of her sisters, and in the moment Diva died… it was different, somehow. More shocking, more like a slap to the face, in a way the shock of the MET's events hadn't allowed them to process.

"It's not nearly enough. Even if you do not feel it was necessary, I could slaughter the world and still it would not repay what they took from you." Nathan muttered lowly, only the sharpest ears in the room picking up his words. Adelphia didn't react.

"For those of you who are confused, what Nathan is referring to is my… name, amongst other things." Nathan hissed at that, but didn't interrupt. "They called me 'Arbalest' - it's a type of medieval crossbow, and as they viewed me as a weapon they were wielding… a weapon that they were ejecting into the action while staying safe behind the castle walls… I suppose they thought it was appropriate." Adelphia mused, gaze slightly unfocused.

"I didn't even know I was female until Nathan told me, I was simply an 'it'. I did not have a sense of 'I', but referred to myself as Arbalest or Arb. I am not human. Saya, Hibiki, Kanade, Diva, Nathan, Solomon, Hagi, the Schiff… none of us are human, but we are _people_. What I was… what Arbalest was was not a person. Arbalest was a weapon, nothing more." She looked up suddenly, eyes flickering between their faces with a sudden intensity.

"Did you know, that the people who fought with arbalests were called arba_lists_? And yet I was not even that… I was the inanimate object. The weapon."

* * *

_Germany, 1872_

_The man smiled grimly, a hand cupping over his chin as he watched the scene in front of him._

_Arbalest was magnificent. Truly magnificent._

_He watched as it slashed its bloody way through the lumbering chiropterans. Experiments with Arbalests capabilities over the past three years had been fruitful, and it was now a fully functioning, chiropteran killing machine. Arbalest's blood was not quite as effective as the queen's against each other, the crystallisation effect slower, but that could be expected, given that it was a combination of both potent bloods in one body. As such, they had adjusted its fighting style to fit; chiropterans fell in pieces so small that they could not attack during the period Arbalest's blood took to fully turn them to stone._

_Arbalest now appeared like a strangely evenly proportioned twelve or thirteen year old girl; skin pallid, as it mostly moved around at night, and dark hair worn in one long braid down its back. It was still growing, but that would cease soon and then, then their weapon would truly be complete._

* * *

_France, 1872_

_Nathan watched with gritted teeth as the girl finally came to a halt. He'd lost count of how many of these 'hits' he had observed, how many times this child had been forced out onto the field, often still coated in the dried blood from her last mission._

_He knew what they called her._

'_Arbalest', the product of Project ARb25; a living weapon, made from combining the DNA of two chiropteran pureblood queens… without the neutralising effect of the chevalier, it should have been impossible._

_The twins created when a chiropteran pureblood became pregnant, only possible by one of her opposing twin's chevaliers, were, genetically, near replicas of the previous generation. Each generation of queens were only slightly tempered by the influence of the chevalier who fathered them, but it was that slight difference that allowed the queens to keep reproducing, despite the opposite effects of their blood. The fact that their blood would crystallise upon contact was partly the reason that they always produced twins. The blood was too potent; it could not coexist._

_To have forced that blood to run through the same veins… to have forced the opposites into one body… Nathan didn't know what would happen. _

_He had seen her charts - and he stubbornly kept referring to her as _her_, despite the fact Arbalest was an it to everyone who knew of Arbalest's existence - and Arbalest may be stable now, carefully controlled… he was both scared and eagerly anticipating what would happen when that balance was lost._

_Her job finished, Arbalest stood calm and quiet, bloody sword by her side, as the cleaning crew moved in around her. She didn't react until her handler came up to her, instructed her to return to her bunk, no doubt. Then she simply sheathed her sword in the long, oblong package on her back, and retreated into the darkness._

_Nathan watched from the shadows, thoughts tumbling over each other as he formed half-plans and calculations._

* * *

_Arbalest sat on its bunk. Its eyes did not move from its blade as it smoothed a cloth over it. _

'_Kill the beasts, clean the blade, rest.'_

_That was all it had to do. Kill, clean and sleep. Every five hundred hours, it would be linked up to a tube system that fed blood into its system, leaving it energised. But it didn't have to do anything for that, just sit. Kill, clean and sleep._

_It wasn't sure when the last time it had been clean was, but that didn't matter. Perhaps somebody would notice the smell, and then it would be instructed to clean, perhaps not. It didn't matter, as long as it could still kill._

_It was instructed to clean so it could kill, to rest so it could kill. Everything, everything it did was to kill._

_Somewhere, deep within Arbalest, there was a flicker of restlessness, a sense of frustration._

_Arbalest knew what they thought of her; a blank doll for them to make kill over and over again. They weren't wrong. A few people were more aware; aware that it could think, to a certain extent, could process instructions, could differentiate and prioritise; kill was always the top priority. Other instructions, it could and would override if necessary, if it would mean killing more of them or more quickly. The next priority that took precedence over everything except kill was keep hidden, but kill came before that. It could analyse situations, it could think on its feet, in a small capacity._

_But nobody knew that Arbalest was aware._

_It was aware of its own existence, in a strange, convoluted and warped way. It knew it lived. It felt… emotions. Small, squashed and it wasn't able to name or process them. The melancholy heaviness that lay in its stomach, getting heavier with each kill. It took it a long time to figure out what that was; sadness._

_Arbalest was sad that it had to kill._

_It knew this and felt this, small and squished under all of the drugs and training and apathy, but it didn't know what to do about it; didn't know if it was something that it should act on._

_Sometimes… when it was resting, sleeping, it dreamt. It wondered what it would be like to not be… Arbalest. That was what it was called, but it wasn't a name, not like theirs; a title, a label, but not a name._

_And deep inside, Arbalest desperately wanted a name, and the meaning that came with it._

* * *

**Hi?**

**Oh god I'm so sorry about the updating time for this chapter, and the whole thing really. It's been about nine months since I last updated this, so I don't know whether anyone's still out there.**

**I think I've improved a lot in those nine months, so I hope you enjoy this chapter - consider it a little Christmas gift, if you like! I hope that updating time will be more regular, as I am very determined to finish this. I may be rewriting some of it in the future, but for now I'm focusing on finishing it.**

**Part of the next chapter has already been written, and I have the rest of it mapped out, so I hope anybody still reading looks forward to it!**

**Thank you so much to everybody who's read, reviewed, favourited and alerted this - I can't tell you how much that means to me. Thank you! X**


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